Party Like It's 1986
by Natchez
Summary: Mini-sequel to "Ordinary Loneliness." Lindsey talks Damon into attending her 30th high school reunion with her. She'll renew some old friendships, and maybe even get a little payback on some people who made her life miserable. Should be lots of fun. M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Flashbacks

**A/N:** First, no, I have NOT abandoned "The Real Thing." It's just on hiatus until the muse decides to come back from the Caymans where she's been vacationing with Damon and Elena.

Second, this is an in-between story about Damon and Lindsey (from "Ordinary Loneliness") before I get the BIG sequel up. That will happen after I finish "The Real Thing." Reading "Ordinary Loneliness" isn't a necessity before getting into this one, but if you do want to go ahead and read it, I certainly won't stop you! :)

Third, If you're facing a milestone reunion, you already know this, but if you're still in the trenches in high school or feeling seriously left out at college or in life in general, I promise: This too, shall pass. This is a little fantasy piece for "Any of you that have ever felt stepped on, left out, picked on, put down..." (from "Revenge of the Nerds") or just not good enough. Come on in. Glad to have you here. This story is definitely for you. Sometimes, the nerds and the weirdos win the sweepstakes. :)

Fourth: PLEASE review! This isn't meant to be a seriously supernatural story. It's a short bit of fluffiness, probably no more than four chapters. But I'd love to see reviews anyway. If you liked "Ordinary Loneliness," I think you'll like this, too.

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

 **September, 2016**

Damon came back from a blood run to find Lindsey sitting cross-legged on the sofa, looking at a card of some sort. She looked up at him as he came in with the cooler. Her expression was a little odd. It was a little speculative, but also a little sad. He took the blood to the fridge in the basement and came back up.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"This." She handed him the card.

He looked at it, then at Lindsey. "Your thirtieth high school reunion, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You're not planning on going. What's the problem?" Damon said.

"No, actually, I _was_ planning on going. This will be the last time I'm able to see the people from high school that I care about. I can't go to another reunion. I don't age anymore since I turned, so this is the last one where it won't raise any red flags. I'll just look young, but I always have."

He flopped on the sofa next to her. Fortunately, it was so worn out, it didn't matter. But Lindsey flatly refused to buy a new sofa, and he really couldn't blame her. This one was supremely comfortable. "Please don't tell me you want me to go with you. Not to an 80s class reunion."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Really? You think I'm strolling into that reunion without the best looking man in three states - at least - walking in with me? Oh, hell no."

Damon raised one eyebrow. "So I'm arm candy now, huh?"

"Well, yeah. And what gave you the idea you were anything else?" Her coppery brown eyes twinkled at him as she teased him.

"Gee, I don't know how I could have possibly thought I _meant_ something to you," he pouted.

Lindsey laughed and leaned over to him to give him a soulful kiss. "Well, you _are_ the absolute sweetest piece of mancandy, ever. How about that?"

"I am hurt," he snarked.

Lindsey hopped into his lap. "Really? Bet I can make it better," she said with a leer worthy of one of Damon's own. "Besides, aren't you into the whole getting even, revenge is a dish best served cold, karmic payback kind of thing?"

"Yeah. What's that got to do with me going to this reunion with you?"

She grinned at him. "What better karmic payback is there than going to a reunion where some of the people were really nasty to me, only now I look better, dress better and have the best looking husband there? It's perfect!"

Damon checked in with their blood bond, and he could feel how pleased she was by the idea. He sighed. "O.K. I'll go. What do I have to do?"

"Do what you do best: show up and look purty!" she said, wrinkling her nose at him. Lindsey leaned forward to kiss him again. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said.

"You're welcome. But I'm telling you now that if I tear someone's head off because they played too much Bon Jovi, it's your fault."

"Oh hush. You'll make it, I promise. It's one day. You can stand it."

"I guess so," he said. "At least I have a month to psych myself out for it."

"Yep. I need to find a dress for the party at the country club, too. It's cocktail dress, the invitation says, so that does make it a little easier. Guys have it so easy, though. Show up in a suit and you're good."

"Yeah, but a suit wouldn't show your curves," he said, running his hands from her silky brown hair and down her sides. "Not like a sexy dress does, anyway. And I love your curves," he murmured into her neck, then brought his mouth up to kiss her.

"You do, huh?" she said against his mouth.

"Mmm-hmm. You feel like a woman, all soft and warm and sexy." His voice had dropped into the black velvet purr she loved.

"So you don't miss the toned and honed charms of a certain lovely vampire in Virginia who shall remain nameless?" Lindsey said.

Damon raised his head. "Oh, you didn't just go there, did you?" His beautiful blue eyes were a little troubled.

"Yeah. I went there," she admitted.

Damon's tone was stern. "Am I mated to her? Nope. Never will be, either. Once I held you, that was it. I wondered why none of those women satisfied me anymore - why they never did, really." He turned them so he lay on top of her, pinning her to the sofa. She twined her legs with his.

"And why is that? I'm interested," Lindsey said.

"Mostly because they weren't you. I found out I liked women who were a little softer, a little warmer."

"Could have fooled me those first days in Nashville," she replied.

Damon put his head down on her shoulder. "Are you gonna hold that against me from now on? I was an idiot and was clueless about what I had. I needed to grow up, and I finally did - for you."

Lindsey kissed him. "I know and I'm proud of you. You know I am. No, I don't hold it against you. You know I love you more than anything in this world. I waited for you. I wanted you - and only you. Nobody else."

"So what all is this big event going to entail?" he asked.

"Football game on Friday night… Stop it, would you?" Damon was still on top of her and was placing kisses along her neck.

"Mmmm. I'm listening," he said against her skin.

She rolled her eyes. "A picnic at the park on top of the mountain Saturday afternoon, and then the big event at the Cold Creek Country Club Saturday night." She sighed at his touch, then said, "Hadn't planned on going to the football game."

"Good to know," he answered, still kissing her neck and shoulder.

She brought his mouth to hers and gave him a sweet, lingering kiss. "If you'll be so kind as to move your tempting self off me, I have a story to finish." She still did freelance writing for the Oneonta paper.

"So I'm tempting, now?" he teased.

"You know darn well you are. Now move or I dump you on the floor - and you know I will."

Reluctantly, Damon sat up and gave his wife a hand up from the sofa, too, but he pulled her into another searing kiss in the process. She finally pulled away and stood. "Gotta write." She started for the stairs, but he met her at the bottom step and grabbed her. She pushed him away. "Stop it, or you're hitting the floor the hard way."

"All right," he pouted.

"We've got all night to mess around, but I need to finish this story this afternoon. I just got sidetracked by that invitation in the mail."

"O.K. Go, write."

"Thanks, sweet pea," she said and kissed him quickly before she ascended the stairs.

* * *

 **1985**

" _Hey, Lindsey. Want to go for pizza Saturday night?" It was Jay Hill. He caught her by her locker before school started for the day.  
_

" _What do you want, Jay?" Lindsey looked at the boy she'd known since seventh grade. He had never extended the first gesture of friendship, unless he wanted something - usually her help on a paper or something similar._

" _I don't want anything. Just do you want to go out for pizza on Saturday?" He looked - and sounded - sincere, but Lindsey knew better. This was one of two things: he either needed help in English, or he was in cahoots with somebody and it was calculated to stand her up or embarrass her in some way._

 _Lindsey closed her locker and spun the wheel on the lock. "So you want to spend some time with me? That's new."_

" _Well, I mean, you know. You're nice." He was starting to turn red - a telltale sign._

" _So I've been told." Lindsey leaned against her locker, arms folded. "So homecoming is in two weeks. Were you wanting to go for pizza so you could ask me to homecoming?" She knew the answer, but wanted to see if he would own up to it._

" _Well, no, I've already asked Lee Ann." At least he was honest about that much._

" _Yeah, see, I knew that. I heard her telling everybody at lunch the other day." Lee Ann Robinson was one of the few people on earth Lindsey actively hated. "So, you've got a date for homecoming, but you want to get pizza with me. So is it a date? Because if it is, then no, because I don't go out with other girls' boyfriends. And if it isn't a date, then kindly tell me what it is."_

 _Jay had known this wasn't going to work. Lindsey Hargrove might be the class weirdo and generally considered unsuitable for dating, but she wasn't stupid, and she wasn't naive. She could smell a setup a mile away, and he knew it. Lee Ann hated Lindsey and was going to use the pizza date to embarrass her in home ec class on Monday. Jay really didn't want to do it, but Lee Ann had promised him a blow job if he did, and that chick could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. He squirmed uncomfortably as Lindsey looked at him, eyes narrowed. The rumor was she could read minds, and damn, if he didn't believe it sometimes._

 _She shook her head. His silence told her everything she needed to know. "That's about what I thought. You need help in class, you know my rate: $15 an hour." She turned and left him looking after her._

" _What was that all about?" Lindsey's best friend, Elle Magee, caught up with her._

" _Jay Hill asked me to get pizza Saturday night."_

 _Elle rolled her eyes. "Oh really? What'd he want?"_

" _Not sure. It was a shuck and jive of some kind, though. He turned red as a beet. I'll bet Lee Ann put him up to something, that heifer."_

" _Well, you know she can't keep her mouth shut about anything. She's in my fifth period calculus class and if she and Jay talk about it at lunch, I'll hear about it then."_

" _Let me know."_

 _Elle grinned. "I will. Don't we have a date Saturday night anyway?"_

 _Lindsey's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah. Sting in 'The Bride'! Cannot wait! And I saw where the Gateway is doing a special thing. Saw it in the paper this morning. For 50 cents extra, you go at five and see 'Teen Wolf' and then 'The Bride' at seven. Got an extra 50 cents to see Michael J. Fox again?"_

" _Sure. I wish a cute guy like Michael J. Fox would move here and go to school," Elle sighed._

" _Tell me about it. But all we get are jerks like Jay Hill."_

" _I know. I'd settle for George Michael, and I_ hate _Wham!"_

 _Lindsey laughed. "I know. I'd rather have Andrew Ridgeley, though. He's cute and I don't think he's as stuck on himself as George Michael is. But we both know whose clone we'd like to see here."_

 _Elle sighed again and the girls said in unison, "John Taylor!" They had a shared crush on Duran Duran's bass player. "We're gonna meet him one day. It's got to happen. We'll_ make _it happen!" Elle had conviction in her voice._

" _I know we will," Lindsey answered. They seated themselves in their first period English class and waited for the bell to ring._

* * *

 **2016**

Lindsey sat in front of her computer, wondering what triggered that memory. She leaned back in her office chair. Compulsion certainly would have come in handy in high school. What if Lee Ann came to the reunion? Wouldn't she have a conniption fit when she saw Damon? "I should compel her to run around clucking and flapping her arms like a chicken," Lindsey said, very low, so Damon wouldn't hear it. The idea was a funny one. She would never do it, but it was a lot of fun to ponder.

As she wrote her story, Lindsey did get amused at the mental image of what some of her former classmates would do when they saw her with Damon. It was downright hilarious, in fact. She wouldn't have to do a thing. But she did need to contact Elle to see if she was coming. She was living in Austin, Texas, and Lindsey very much wanted to see her friend. Elle was one of the few people Lindsey knew could be trusted with her secret, and also one of the few friends whom she'd stay in contact with from now on.

Damon knew something was up with his mate. He could feel her intense amusement through their bond. He wasn't sure she'd tell him, but he could probably kiss it out of her. He grinned to himself. He had a feeling Lindsey had some old ghosts to lay to rest at that reunion - and maybe a score or two to settle. It might be interesting to see, at that.

* * *

 **See the box down there? It's for typing a review! Let me know what you think! Reviews are love!**


	2. Chapter 2: That's What Friends are For

**A/N: Thank you so much to those who have already followed, faved and reviewed! Your support truly means the world to me. Here, we meet Elle, Lindsey's best friend. We don't get to the reunion yet, but it's coming. Damon's being a pill because he's a little paranoid (and really, we all know Damon doesn't need a reason to be a pill; he just enjoys it). There's some sweet, lemony fluffy stuff here, too.**

 **I thought we needed a little more background about Lindsey and her friendship with Elle. And Damon behaving badly. LOL.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

"Look, Damon, I can tell Elle anything. And if she freaks out, I'll just compel her to forget. But she's been my best friend since we were 13. I can't keep this from her. I guarantee she won't tell anybody. And if she's staying the weekend with us, it'll make it a lot easier for us to just be ourselves." Lindsey's tone was reasonable, but Damon was being obstinate, not surprisingly.

"I don't know why she can't stay in a hotel like everybody else," he groused.

"Because I haven't seen her in 20 years! I'd like to spend some time with her." Lindsey was biting her tongue against what she wanted to say. Reason was going to have to win the day, here. She didn't want to fight with Damon, but he needed reminding their marriage was a partnership, not a one-way street where he called the shots and she went along with it. Lindsey believed in picking her battles wisely, so Damon got his way a lot, if she didn't think it was important enough to fight him on it, but when she did go to the mat with him about something, he needed to remember he didn't win that often.

Damon rolled his eyes. "So go get mani-pedis or whatever if you want to spend time with her. It doesn't have to be here, does it?"

"She kind of grew up in this house, too. Mama and Daddy took her in because she had such a crappy home life. I would appreciate it if you didn't fight me on this." Lindsey was still being reasonable, but she had the heavy artillery ready to go if Damon didn't back off a little.

Damon glowered at her. "You know I don't like strange humans in the house."

"She's a stranger to you, but not to me." Lindsey allowed a little edge to creep into her voice. His expression was still downright mulish, though. "Do you really want to get into it with me on this? Really?" She narrowed her eyes at him and Damon knew she was ready to strip some hide from his ass if he kept on. He'd seen that look too many times. He could feel through their bond that she was extremely irritated with him, which meant she was probably holding back what she really wanted to say. And with her being that upset, he wasn't sure he was interested in her letting him have it. He knew he wouldn't like what she said.

Lindsey could tell he was thinking it over. She knew Damon's reluctance was partly because he didn't like having his routine upset, and partly because he was a little paranoid about humans he didn't know. Bonnie could stay for a month, for example, but he _knew_ her. So, she'd just let him stew on it a while. She got up from the sofa.

"Where are you going?" he said.

"To empty the dishwasher. I didn't do it last night." Lindsey went into the kitchen. And Damon knew that was the end of the discussion, as far as she was concerned. Sometimes it frustrated him no end that she wouldn't normally fight with him. She simply made her points and that was that. And it dawned on him this was one skirmish he wasn't going to win. His only reason for not wanting Elle to stay with them was because he was a little paranoid about humans he didn't know. There wasn't a single real argument he could mount that didn't come back to this being a personal issue. He sighed. And he had to trust that Lindsey knew her friend well enough to be able to gauge how she would deal with the whole vampire/supernatural thing.

Lindsey was putting dishes in the cabinet, still fuming about her stubborn husband's attitude. She understood where he was coming from, but she didn't want to remind Damon that he didn't have many friends outside the vamp community to start with, so it wasn't like he could sympathize. Then, she felt his arms around her and felt his hands sneak up her shirt to touch her bare skin.

"I'm doing it again," he whispered into her neck. "Running over your feelings and what you want. Am I ever gonna learn?" he murmured.

She placed the glasses on the counter and turned to Damon. "Eventually." She kissed him. "Old habits are hard to break."

Damon folded Lindsey into his arms and nosed in her hair. "I'm afraid one of these days you're gonna get tired of dealing with my issues and my crap and my me-ness," he said.

"That would take a long, long time. Remember, there's something that keeps me around: I love you and you're my mate. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. That does not, however, give you free license to be Mr. What-I-Say-Goes Bossypants all the time. Are we clear?" She kissed him on the nose.

He put his head on top of hers. "We're clear. I just have to be reminded occasionally. I'm still pretty new at this whole long-term relationship thing. I was a love 'em and leave 'em type for a long time."

"Really? Never would have guessed," Lindsey teased her husband.

* * *

Lindsey checked her watch and the arrivals board in the Birmingham Airport. The flight from Austin was on time, it said, so she looked for Elle coming down the staircase from the gates. Finally, she saw her friend and waved.

Elle's face lit up and she rushed to Lindsey and they hugged. "Oh, my God, Lindsey! You look incredible! How have you been?"

"I'm good. How was your flight?"

"It was fine. So where's this studly man of yours?" Elle grinned.

Lindsey laughed. "He hates airports. He's at home. But I've got his car so we'll be riding in style."

As they walked to baggage claim, Lindsey thought Elle didn't look her age, either. She had an oval face, attractively sprinkled with freckles, large gray-green eyes and a mane of wavy light brown hair that refused to stay in a ponytail, no matter how she worked with it. In some ways, they were very different, but they were still best friends, and in five minutes, it was as if the previous 20 years fell away. They were talking and laughing as they grabbed Elle's rolling suitcase. When they got to the parking lot and Elle saw Damon's new Camaro, her eyes popped.

"This is Damon's car?"

Lindsey nodded. "Yeah. He drove a classic '69 Camaro for a long time, and we still have it, but it was getting a bunch of miles on it. It's still our weekend car."

"Wow. What do you drive?"

"A 2015 Focus. Nothing fancy. Damon's really the thrill junkie in the family. I just told him I wanted his car since we'd be on the freeway and it's a top down kind of day."

"Definitely. Let's go!" Elle said. They got in the car and Lindsey immediately dropped the top and turned up the stereo.

"Rick Springfield. To get us in the reunion mood. He's still hot, though."

"Oh, I know. I saw him at South by Southwest last year. Put on a great show. I thought we were both gonna die when we saw him in Birmingham in '83."

"Yeah. How many times did we see 'Hard to Hold'? Five?" Lindsey said, as she pulled on to the Interstate.

"No, six. Remember, we went to see it at the dollar movie over Christmas."

Lindsey laughed. "That's right. I blew my babysitting money for a month to see that movie that many times. Mama fussed at me but I didn't care. I don't regret it. That movie provided me with a lot of happy daydreaming."

"Me too. I could forget all the crap going on at home." Elle's mother and stepfather were not a happy couple. "Can I tell you? It's going to be so weird to get to your house and not see May-May and Pop. I know it's even weirder for you."

Lindsey nodded. Yeah. I still look for Mama and Daddy in the house some days. Just habit."

"They treated me just like I was one of their own. Which reminds me: seen Rachel lately?" That was Lindsey's older sister.

Lindsey shrugged. "Nope. No idea where she is. I haven't seen her since Mama died. I guess she's still alive, or I'd have heard something."

When they got to the house, Lindsey looked around. Her car was gone. "Damon must've gone to Oneonta for something. Well, come on upstairs. The old guest room you liked is still a bedroom. I moved into the master bedroom years ago." She showed Elle into the room and the woman looked around.

"It's just like I remembered," she said.

"I'm glad. Let's go sit on the porch. I've got some serious stuff to tell you."

Elle looked at her friend. "Really? Something bad?"

"Depends on your point of view, I guess," Lindsey answered.

They made themselves comfortable on the upstairs porch and Lindsey said, "Well, I guess I need to start with the real story of how Damon and I met. And let me tell you: it's real and it happened, and I can prove it. Just bear with me until I finish, O.K.?"

"O.K.," Elle replied. "Go for it."

Lindsey told her friend of being abducted in Nashville, spending weeks with Damon in a condominium, finding out he was a vampire - everything. Elle's eyes got bigger and bigger, but she didn't interrupt. Lindsey told her about her cancer diagnosis, how Damon moved to Alabama to take care of her, the clinical trials, her going into remission, and finally, the accident that claimed her life and sent her into transition. "I decided to turn because I couldn't keep giving Damon up. I couldn't do it," she said. "And obviously, this is between us alone. You understand why we can't let this kind of thing get out."

"I understand. But are you sure this is real?" Elle, always a skeptic, was looking for a rational explanation and Lindsey couldn't blame her. Only there wasn't a rational explanation available.

"It's real. I promise it's real. But I wanted to give you a chance to hear it and understand before I just went downstairs and drained a bag of blood in front of you, or worse, had to sneak around about it. But you're my best friend, and I couldn't lie to you."

Elle sat back in the rocking chair. "This is a lot to take in. You realize that." Lindsey nodded sympathetically. "And if anybody but you were telling me this, I'd be screaming bloody murder. So, I guess - well, I don't know. Have you ever killed anyone?"

"Never. And I don't ever want to. The predator's there, but Damon thinks since I was probably 20 years older than most vamps when they turn, the bloodlust isn't as strong. Plus, we can get blood bags and I'm satisfied with that," she explained.

"And Damon? What about him? Has he killed anyone?"

Lindsey grinned a little ruefully at her friend. "Damon's changed a lot."

Elle's mouth dropped open a little. "Well, that answers my question. How many?"

"He was turned in 1864. Does this tell you anything?"

"Do I have anything to worry about?" Elle asked, a little fearfully.

"No, no! Never! Guests are never on the menu," Lindsey answered, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "But there are a couple of things you do need to know. Vampire hearing is very sensitive. We hear everything. Also, vampires are extremely physically strong. And we can run really fast. It's the predator thing. And then, there's compulsion."

"Compulsion? What's that?"

"Ever see 'True Blood' on TV?"

Elle nodded. "Yeah. So it's like glamoring? That's it?"

"Mmm-hmm. It comes in handy sometimes, but I try not to use it unless I have to, or unless it would help someone."

"How could compulsion help someone?" Elle was clearly puzzled.

"Well, I visit the nursing home a lot and the residents who have problems with sundowners syndrome? It's fear. Those poor people are terrified and they don't even know why. So I tell them not to be afraid, that they're going to be all right, and it really helps them, their caregivers, their families - everybody."

"Wow. I never thought of it like that."

Lindsey grinned. "Most people don't. But let me tell you about Damon. He's a complex guy. His mother died when he was seventeen and his dad was a first class asshole. Damon was abused, physically and emotionally. Of course, then, they didn't have counseling. And when he and Stefan were turned, they had no one to help them. Normally, a vampire who turns a human - sires that person, they say - they stay with the baby vampire to help them, show them the ropes, help them learn control - everything. But they didn't have that. Stefan stays on mostly animal blood because he never really learned to control the human bloodlust. He has a bad past.

"But Damon's had so much to deal with, it's a wonder he gets out of bed every day. When I figured out how abused he'd been, it really helped because then I knew more about what made him tick. But he can be very difficult. Snark is an art form for him. He'll say stuff for no other reason than to push your buttons. Don't take the bait. He knows he's supposed to be on his best behavior, but we'll see." She chuckled.

"So why can't I see your fangs? I guess you have fangs, right?" Elle asked.

"I do. I can control when they drop."

"Let's see," Elle said.

"You serious?" Lindsey asked.

"If my best friend is a vampire, I want to see a set of real fangs!"

Lindsey shook her head. "O.K., but don't freak out. Remember, you asked for it!"

"I'll remember. Let's see them."

"All right." Fortunately, Lindsey could drop her fangs without too many vessels turning dark under her eyes. She grinned at Elle, fangs fully extended.

"Shit! They're real!" Elle exclaimed and peered at her friend.

"Yeah, they're real. Well, come look. I know you're having a fit to see them up close."

Elle looked hard at the elongated teeth as Lindsey lifted her upper lip. She reached a tentative finger to touch one. "Ouch! Damn things are sharp!"

Lindsey laughed. "Wouldn't be much use if they weren't. You nicked your finger."

"Oh, God. It's bleeding!" She looked up at Lindsey, who had retracted her fangs. "Is that a problem for you?"

"Nah." She sniffed the air. "Are you AB-positive? Never knew that."

"You can tell by the way my blood smells what the type is?" Elle asked.

"Yep," came a sexy light baritone voice from behind her.

Elle turned and her jaw dropped. Lindsey had sent pictures of her and Damon, but they didn't do justice to the real thing. He was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen, and there was just _something_ about him. He oozed sex out of every pore. She realized she was ogling her best friend's husband, and closed her mouth, but how could a woman not stare at this man? He wore faded black jeans and a blue silk button-up shirt that matched his glorious eyes and was just slightly snug across his chest.

"Hey baby. You go to Oneonta?" Lindsey spoke first.

"Yeah. We were out of tea and lemons. And ice." He approached Elle, who was still a little stunned. "You must be Elle. I'm Damon, Lindsey's husband." He smiled at her and she held out her hand. He took it and kissed the back. "So nice to meet you."

"You too, Damon. Thanks for offering to let me stay this weekend." Somehow, Elle found her voice.

"Any friend of Lindsey's is a friend of mine," he said smoothly.

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "Dial it back a little Casanova. You're a lot to deal with all at once. Give the friend some space, how about it?"

Damon gave Elle his best ladykiller grin and went to lounge on the glider next to Lindsey. Elle was starting to wish she had stayed in a hotel. This man was clearly a force of nature. Then, she thought of something. "Is Lee Ann gonna be there?"

"That's what I hear," Lindsey answered.

Elle laughed. "Oh, good. She's gonna take one look at _him_ , with _you_ , and she's gonna blow a gasket."

"That's what I'm hoping," Lindsey said.

"Who is this Lee Ann anyway? What's her damage?" Damon asked.

"She was the top dog in our class," Lindsey explained. "Popularity-wise anyway. Head cheerleader, president of her sorority, you name it. Too bad she's a socially adept psychopath. She never had feelings for anyone, and she collected a crowd of little minions to do her evil bidding."

"So I know why you hated her. Why'd she hate you?"

"Because Lindsey saw her for exactly what she was. Lee Ann never fooled her for a second," Elle said.

"Well shoot. I'd known her since sixth grade. She just got more evil as she went along. It probably really came to a head in ninth grade, though."

Elle nodded. "Oh yeah. That with JoDean. Horrible."

Damon could feel his wife's disgust through the bond. Apparently, this chick was a piece of work. "So tell me," he said.

Lindsey took a deep breath. "JoDean was in the special education class. Her IQ was about 65 or so. She was in Daddy's class in middle school. JoDean had no help at home. Her mother was in pretty much the same shape she was, so there was no enrichment, nothing. Academically, she was at about a second grade level. She was very sweet, very shy, and completely trusting. To top it off, she had terrible teeth and physically, well, she was, um, very plain."

"And she had a speech impediment," Elle added. "It was bad."

"Yeah, it was. And she had the grave misfortune of being in our homeroom that year - with Lee Ann. The way it worked was everybody had a homeroom and they called roll and read the announcements - that kind of thing. Then we went to class. And in that thirty minutes of homeroom every morning, Lee Ann managed to make that girl's life a living hell. She used to imitate the way JoDean talked, asked her did she get her clothes from the Salvation Army, asked her if she knew how to wash her hair, could she spell cat- it was awful. And she always did it in this mock-friendly voice so at first, JoDean thought Lee Ann was being nice to her. She didn't know any better. Finally, she caught on, and oh, my God, Damon. It got worse. And the look on her face. It was like a little abused animal. They don't understand why they're being kicked - they just know they are."

"We got Mrs. Carson to let her sit with us, and that helped," Elle said, "but it didn't stop it."

Damon shook his head. "Why didn't anyone stand up for her?"

"Lee Ann had dirt on nearly everybody, and she wasn't afraid to use it against them. I told you she was a psychopath," Lindsey replied. "And she was smart enough not to do it when the teacher was actually in the room. But Mrs. Carson was also the guidance counselor, so she was late to homeroom a lot."

"So let me guess. You went badass on her in class," Damon said, with a grin.

"I called her out. I did. I essentially told her to pick on someone her own size, and if she needed a target, I'd be glad to stand in, and I'd love making her look like an idiot on a regular basis."

"I know you. That's not all you said," Damon stated.

Lindsey deflected, "I don't remember the rest."

It was Elle's turn to roll her eyes. "The hell you don't remember. _I'll_ never forget it. One of the best bitch-outs I've ever heard and she never used a word of profanity. She called Lee Ann a miserable, pathetic excuse for a human being, said right out she was a psychopath and should probably be in a mental hospital where she couldn't hurt anyone else, told her the day would come when someone paid her back in full for the way she treated JoDean, and told her if she didn't turn her life around and get some help, she was going to roast in Hell."

Damon nearly fell off the glider, laughing. "I can hear her saying it. Oh, God, I'd give up bourbon for a year to go back and watch that. What did the uber bitch say?"

"'You shut up, Lindsey Hargrove! You're just a fat weirdo who'll never have a boyfriend!'" Lindsey answered. "I told her I'd rather be an honest, fat weirdo than a pretty face with a disturbed mind. The teacher came in about that time. But from then on, I did have a target on my back. Elle, too, since she was my best friend. But she stood by me."

"Welcome to adolescence," Damon said. "What a bitch." But he suddenly understood much more about how Lindsey ended up with no self-esteem. He sent all the feelings of love and desire he could muster through their bond. Lindsey smiled at him and patted his knee. Elle could feel there was an undercurrent between them, but she didn't understand exactly what it was.

"I hope you're planning on taking enough food for the picnic for three," Elle said. "I'll chip in and help buy it, but you know I'm not a cook. Not like you are, anyway. You got your mom's cooking skills. And your grandmother's."

"I learned from the best, that's for sure. Yeah, I'll take enough. Wonder how many buckets of chicken people will bring Saturday?"

"Too many, probably," Elle chuckled. "Have you still got that recipe for that unbelievable pot roast you do in the slow cooker?"

Lindsey thought about it. "Yeah, I do. I may make that. It's easy and everybody likes it."

Elle nodded. "I guess it didn't occur to me to ask: do you still eat, you know, people food?"

"It's _all_ people food, sweetheart," Damon purred, his meaning obvious, and Elle looked a little frightened at that.

Lindsey looked at him and gave him The Glare. She stared at him for a good 30 seconds before he finally shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry about that. I'm being obnoxious. Some vampires exist mostly on blood. Others eat human food, too. We're both in the latter category," Damon smiled at Elle.

"Oh. O.K. That's good, I guess?" she said.

"It's fantastic. Means I can eat what I want and never gain an ounce. That's probably one of the biggest advantages of being a vampire. My body won't change from now on." Lindsey grinned at her.

Elle nodded. "I can see where that would be awesome. So what else is so good about it?"

"Sex," Damon quipped and earned The Glare again.

"O.K.," Lindsey said. "That's it. Leave. You're obviously incapable of using your company manners so get outta here. Go work on that table in the shop or something."

Damon looked very put-upon. "C'mon. Am I that bad? Really?" he said, giving them his best puppy-dog eyes. They looked at each other and nodded in unison. "Awww," he said. "I'm sorry. I'll behave. I promise." He looked sincere, but Lindsey didn't buy it - not completely.

"All right, but if you start again, you're going off this porch the hard way!"

Well, that was preferable to snapping his neck, and she was very capable of doing either one, if sufficiently provoked. "O.K. Message received," he said, but his eyes were still twinkling wickedly.

"So. What did you bring for the country club dance?" Lindsey asked Elle.

"You know, I couldn't find much. I thought maybe we could go to Birmingham tomorrow and look," she answered. "I looked in Austin, but everything I found would be great for Gwen, but she's 15," she said, mentioning her daughter. "Nothing for a lady of more mature years."

"Sure, we can go. You're welcome to look in my closet, too, though. I've got a few things, and if you like something, you know I don't mind you wearing it. Or we can go shopping. I do recommend we take Damon with us, though, because he really does have a great eye for what looks good on a woman."

"Just call me Bob Mackie," he said.

"I'd rather have you," Lindsey said with a smile.

"Most women would," he answered and got up. "Stuff to do," he said and with a wink, he was off the porch and they could hear the front door slam.

Elle blew out a breath. "Wow," she said. "Is he always like that?"

"Depends on the day. And not _usually_ when it's just us, but he's always unpredictable. He loves me, though."

"I can tell. The way he looks at you. None of my exes ever looked at me like that. But he looks at you like… like you're his world. And you look at him the same way. I'm so happy for you, Lindsey. I know you waited a long time, and dealt with the world's weirdest circumstances, and it paid off. Can I say his pictures don't do him justice?"

Lindsey grinned. "You can. And Stefan's good-looking, too. He has light brown hair and green eyes, but they both have that strong jaw. He doesn't look much like Damon, as far as a family resemblance goes, and they'd rather die than admit it, but they have some of the same mannerisms. Sometimes, when you're talking to Damon, he'll cock his head to one side, and Stefan does the same thing. If I had to guess, I'd say they picked it up from their mother. I don't think either one of them wants to claim any similarities with their dad, but Damon probably has his temper, although he's learned to control it most of the time, these days."

"You seem to deal with him so effortlessly, though. Do you guys ever fight?" Elle asked.

"I try not to. With my smart mouth, sometimes it's hard to hold back, but I always try to remember that even though Damon acts like nothing bothers him, it's so easy to hurt him deeply. And nearly everyone in his life has hurt or betrayed him. I don't want to be on that list. The idea of hurting him kills me. And we have this thing called a blood bond and we can kind of tell how the other one is feeling. It's an empathetic thing. We've had some serious fights, but you know, I rarely mind being the one to apologize first. I love him with all my heart and I can't stand the thought of hurting him."

Damon was sitting on the front porch, drinking iced tea, figuring Lindsey would think he was out of hearing range when he wasn't. So she loved him with all her heart. He knew it, but it made him happy to hear her say it to her best friend. He loved her with all his heart too, and would show her how much tonight after Elle went to sleep.

* * *

Lindsey was nearly asleep when Damon lay down next to her. He turned out the light next to the bed and immediately gathered her into his arms. He kissed her neck and nibbled her earlobe. "You do put up with a lot from me," he said.

"You were fine at supper," she said. They went to a Mexican place and Damon kept Elle amused with his translations of the Mexican soap opera on TV. The captions were on, and his Spanish was good enough that he could provide a running commentary on the action. It was pretty funny.

"I can behave when I want to," he said.

"You can and it makes my life much easier when you do," she agreed.

He swept her so she was underneath him. "But it's not nearly as interesting," he said with his best grin.

"I can deal with a little boredom," she answered.

"Nah. You like it when I keep things interesting. Especially in here." He nosed her neck.

She chuckled. "Keeping things interesting in the bedroom is fine. I'm all for it."

"I did hear you tell Elle that you love me with all your heart. May I say I return the sentiment?"

"That's good. What else did you hear?"

"Everything. It's kind of weird that someone else knows me as well as you do."

She kissed him. "Means you don't have to hide with me, though. I know you already."

"Yeah, I guess." He returned her kiss, then trailed his mouth to her ear. "Do you think we can be quiet enough not to wake up our guest?"

"I know I can. You're the one we have to worry about, what with your tendency to make the floor shake."

"You like it when the floor shakes. Cause it's making you shake, too." His tone made fire lick through her veins. He gave her a searing kiss, his tongue caressing hers, robbing her of coherent thought and breath.

Lindsey tangled her hands in his hair, tugging on it softly, which she knew he liked. He couldn't be bothered to so much as rip her top open, pushing it up and over her breasts instead, then taking a nipple in his mouth, worrying it gently with his teeth. He moved to the opposite breast and gave it the same treatment. "I'm gonna make you come so hard, baby," he whispered. It was no idle promise. It felt like his hands were all over her body at one time. She arched underneath him and felt his fangs scraping shallow marks down her stomach, and his tongue licking the blood away. He brought his mouth to her center and licked softly at her folds, tasting her, making her want to scream, but she whimpered instead and angled her hips so he would hit all her pleasure spots. She could feel him pause long enough to get rid of his sleep pants and instead of bringing her to orgasm first, as he usually did, he kissed back up her body and covered her mouth with his, entering her in one swift stroke.

His thrusts were deep and slow, and Lindsey was clawing his back, making welts that healed almost instantaneously. He knew she was close and he left her mouth to find his favorite spot on her neck. His taste of her blood earlier, as always, made him want more. He needed the high he got from blood sharing. It was better than any drug, than any alcohol, and he craved it. He craved the connection it gave him to his mate. Nothing satisfied his soul like tasting her blood and feeling her fangs in his skin as she tasted his. It was everything he wanted.

No regular human blood was as sensually delicious as Damon's, in Lindsey's opinion. When the first taste hit her tongue, she always felt their mating bond tighten and strengthen, bringing them closer together. No human blood made her as hot, as needy as his blood did. Everything his touch did for her, his blood intensified. She was hardly conscious by the time they unlatched from each other and Damon was softly licking the healing wounds on her neck. He fell asleep half on top of her, their bodies still joined, thinking they had certainly managed to be as quiet as two vampires making love could be. And with Lindsey, it was always making love - and he was thankful.

* * *

 **See that box? Type a review! They are love! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3: Life's Just a Picnic

**A/N: OK. Here's chapter 3. It's kind of some background and the picnic. Have to wait for Chapter 4 for the big showdown you're all waiting for. I'm waiting to see how it's going to turn out, myself.**

 **In the meantime, thank you all for the reviews, follows and faves. To ils72, THANK YOU for your idea which prodded me into getting Elle a date, too - our old friend from Fort Worth. I appreciate you sharing your idea with me, and I encourage all who are enjoying this story to let me know you like it, and if you have an idea, tell me! I love hearing from you, for real!**

 **Alrighty then - on with the show. Enjoy!**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

Damon woke up, and Lindsey wasn't in bed. That was unusual. She loved to sleep in when she could. And when they had the kind of blood sharing they did the night before, it was very unusual for her to wake up without waking him up, too. He stretched and automatically felt for her through their bond. It had become something they did routinely, now they knew it existed. He could feel agitation. What had her upset? Where was she? Back porch, probably. He remembered they had a guest and slipped on sweats and a T-shirt. He went into the hallway and heard Lindsey and Elle talking.

"How long have you been having these nightmares, Lin?" Elle asked.

"Ever since I got that damn invitation in the mail."

"Have you told Damon?"

"No. It would just upset him. I'm surprised he doesn't know already, though. Another fun trick vampires can do is sneak into dreams. And he's apt to do it, just to see what's going on inside my head. He did it a lot in Nashville."

Elle shook her head. "Do you ever do it to him?"

"Rarely. Not unless he's obviously in distress or something. He thinks it's lots of fun to do it to me, though. Sometimes, Damon has a problem with boundaries." She grinned at her friend.

Damon rolled his eyes at that. He guessed he did have boundary issues. But he didn't know she had been having bad dreams recently.

"Is it the same thing every time?"

"Not always, but there is a recurring one."

"What happens?" Elle asked. "I mean, if you want to tell me."

"Remember Valentine's Day, junior year?"

Elle closed her eyes. "I do now. Yeah, that's the kind of thing that tends to stay with you." She and Lindsey were sitting on the glider and Damon saw Elle put a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders.

"I shouldn't even think about it," Lindsey said. "I have so many blessings, now. Damon is so good to me. He married me! _Me_ , Elle! _Me_! The one who wasn't good for anything but a convenient brain. And he married me. I still can't believe it, sometimes. And that was a long, long time ago. I need to let go of it; I know I do. It's not healthy to hang on to this kind of stuff." She sniffed.

Damon was itching to go to her to tell her he would hit the picnic and start ripping heads off wholesale, if that would exorcise her demons. But something told him Elle was Lindsey's best help right now. But he wanted to know what in the world happened that was sparking her nightmares. But they didn't give any details since they both knew. Damon went downstairs and, after downing two bags of blood and three glasses of bourbon to settle his nerves, started breakfast.

Lindsey sniffed. "Damon's an early bird this morning. Hope I didn't wake him up," she said. "He's cooking. Come on. Smells like bacon and eggs."

They went downstairs and Lindsey went to Damon and kissed him. "Good morning. Thanks for cooking breakfast."

"You're welcome, babe. Warm bag's in the microwave."

"Thanks." She removed the blood bag. "I'll just take this in the other room," Lindsey said.

"No, no. Go ahead. It's kind of weird, but I can deal with it," Elle assured her.

"All right, if you say so." Lindsey sat at the table and drank the blood, but Damon knew she was still bothered by her dream.

He put a plate in front of her and kissed her ear. "Love you," he whispered and she smiled at him.

As they ate, Damon said, "Elle, you still thinking about going to Birmingham to look for a dress?"

"Yeah, I'd like to. Where did you get your dress, Lindsey?"

"Little boutique in Southside. Mine was custom, but she has ready made dresses, too, and they're beautiful."

"That sounds good. Do you need to go to the store to get groceries?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do. I can do that when we get back, though. Nothing I'm planning requires that much prep."

* * *

Elle did find a dress she liked in the boutique, and Damon even approved it. When they got back to the house, Lindsey said, "I'm just making a quick run to the store, so you all can stay here if you want to." Truth to tell, she'd had about enough togetherness for one day, and needed a little space. Fortunately, Elle understood, and Damon wanted to ask her about the dreams Lindsey was having, so he didn't insist on going.

She was sitting on the back porch, drinking a soda when Damon strolled out and sat in one of the rockers. Elle smiled at him, but it was a nervous smile, as if she didn't completely trust him. Well, she was smart like his wife. "Are you afraid of me, Elle?" he asked.

"Honestly? A little. I know Lindsey says you won't hurt me, and I trust her, so I'm O.K."

Damon grinned. "But you don't completely trust me, right?"

"Not completely, no."

He laughed. "Well, that's one thing you and my wife have in common - you don't mince words. But I need to know something. What happened on Valentine's Day, junior year?"

Elle was shocked. "How did you know about that?"

"I got up this morning and heard you two talking." He tapped his ear. "It was kind of hard to miss."

Elle sighed deeply. "In some ways, it was such a small thing, but it really screwed around with her brain. I mean, she was 16. Being completely left out will do that to you."

"So tell me what happened," he said.

She took a deep breath and told him the story.

 **1985**

 _Lindsey hated Valentine's Day. It was a reminder that no one was interested in even asking her to get a burger on Friday night. Elle was seeing a guy and probably had a date for prom. Prom wasn't an option for Lindsey, though, and she knew it. So she tried to be happy for Elle and not dwell on it._

 _The problem was the juniors raised the money for the prom, and then enjoyed not having to do it when they were seniors. One of the big fundraising days was Valentine's Day. Students bought balloons and mini candy boxes for their significant others. The goodies were delivered during fifth period on Valentine's Day._

 _Lindsey was in choir for fifth period and had been to the director's office to get some sheet music, since Mrs. Waits could trust her to get the music and come back to class. This was one day Lindsey wished she weren't such a conscientious student. Elle was also in choir and saw the storm on the horizon. When Lindsey got back to the room and gave Mrs. Waits the music, she saw every student, male and female - all 35 or so - had received a balloon from someone. Some had two or three. A couple of lucky girls had "bouquets" of five. She went back to her desk and admired Elle's balloons, and walked to her sixth period class empty handed. Every student in her sixth period class also had balloons. Objectively, she knew, out of a student body of 600, she wasn't the only one who hadn't received anything, but it certainly felt like it._

"And she's been having nightmares about it," Elle said.

"Yeah, I can understand," Damon answered. "What did she do when it happened?"

"You know what she did. She walked out of that building like she didn't care, even though I know she barely held it together. But she wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing how devastated she was. It was a Friday, and I rode home with her. She was shaking the whole way. When she got home, she went upstairs to her room and completely broke down. I had to tell her Mom and Dad what was going on. She was inconsolable. Like I said, some people might think not getting a balloon on Valentine's Day is a small thing, but when you're 16, and your self-esteem is in the toilet anyway, well it's just confirmation of how worthless you are. I thought about getting her one and not putting a name on it, because I was really afraid that was going to happen, but she would have been even more devastated when she found out it was me, and not a guy who liked her." Elle wiped her eyes, which impressed Damon. Elle cared a lot about her friend.

"The only 'crimes' she committed were being too damn smart for her own good, and being a chubby teenager. She didn't deserve most of what happened to her in high school. I don't guess anyone has an easy time, but Lindsey took more than her share of lumps." She shook her head.

Damon's eyes were stormy. "Why the hell does she want to go to this reunion, then? After all that?"

"She wants to see the people who were good friends - and there are a good many of them. But she's got some ghosts to lay to rest, too. She needs the closure. And you need to let her do it," Elle said, seriously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Damon said, a little irritably.

Elle smiled at him. "It means I've seen how you look at her. You'd charge through a minefield barefoot to keep her safe, and keep her from being hurt. And that's wonderful, and she needs to know she can count on you to have her back, but she's got this to do for herself. You can't slay all her dragons, much as you'd like to. She has to do it. She'll never forgive you for fighting all her battles. She's strong enough."

"You're damn right she's strong. Where did that steel backbone come from, anyway?"

"It's in her DNA. She's the one who helped me stand up for myself. She got me to understand I had to be my own person. She was, and she was never ashamed of being what she was. She wore loafers instead of sneakers, regular jeans when stonewashed were in fashion, and at some point, she quit wearing socks, even in winter."

Damon laughed. "She still hates socks."

"I know. But she loved the Beatles when it wasn't popular to like them, she knew about classical music and read her grandfather's theology books. She was weird, Damon. She's still weird. So am I. But she's still my best friend after all this time."

Damon rocked slowly in the chair, absorbing what Elle told him. Knowing more about Lindsey's background made him all the more grateful she took such a huge risk with a dark horse like him. And he knew Lindsey wasn't a natural risk-taker. She always looked before she leaped. Their whole relationship was so alien to her naturally cautious nature, he couldn't understand why she decided to take a risk on him, but he was glad she did.

"I see the wheels turning and I smell smoke," Elle said.

Damon leaned his head back and looked at the dusky autumn sky. "What you've told me - what she's told me - it all makes me wonder how she could possibly take a risk on me. Normally, I'm everything someone like Lindsey would avoid like the plague."

"You're right. But the heart wants what it wants, Damon. But she said essentially the same thing about you."

"What do you mean?"

"She wonders how she managed to attract a man who looks like you and has a wide and varied background where women are concerned. You could literally have any woman who interested you, but you chose her," Elle explained. "Surely none of that is news to you. I know she's told you that."

"She has, but I thought she understood I love her. Does she doubt it?" Damon's expression was troubled.

"No. She just doesn't understand it, sometimes. Want to know what I think?"

"Let's hear it."

Elle smiled at him. "I think this is a situation where two very damaged people found their way to each other, and when they did, found the other was just what they needed. Lindsey needed someone to shake her out of that cautious, self-doubting nature, someone who could love her wildly and passionately. You needed someone stable and steady - and who chose you first, last and always. What you give Lindsey is that she feels beautiful, sexy, desirable, lovable, wanted, needed, cherished. She makes you feel like a human man, not a monster, and she makes you feel loved and worthy of love. You heal each other. It's like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces may almost fit, or look like they ought to fit, but you two are the only two who fit together perfectly to complete the picture. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Yeah. More than you realize." He laughed ruefully. "Now I know why you two have been friends for so long. Have you always been this compatible?"

"Pretty much from the beginning. We've had our disagreements, but most of the time, we've just clicked right along."

Damon cocked his head, hearing something. "She's home. Let me go downstairs and help her with the groceries," he remarked. He left and Elle followed him downstairs.

* * *

As they ate supper, Lindsey looked over at Damon. "Did you get ahold of Jakob?"

"Yeah. He's flying in from Fort Worth in the morning."

"Who's Jakob?" Elle asked.

Lindsey grinned at her friend. "Well, if you agree, he's your date for the party tomorrow night."

"What?" she said. "Lindsey! Seriously?"

"It's O.K., believe me. Jake's a great guy. He's like us, but he's really, really good looking and very sweet. He's been itching to come visit anyway, so Damon called him when he found out you were coming solo. He just couldn't get a flight until in the morning. He'll meet us here when we get back from the picnic."

"So you want me to go to the party with a vampire."

"Well, _I'm_ going with a vampire," Lindsey said with a grin.

Elle looked at her friend a little dubiously. "What does he look like?"

Lindsey looked over at Damon. "Now, you keep your mouth shut. You know I'd rather have you." She turned back to Elle. "He's about 6'3 or so, great body, kind of slate blue eyes and blond hair. He's got these boyish looks and he's an incredible dancer. I guarantee you'll have a great time with him."

"I feel like I've been flim-flammed," she groused.

"It's only a flim-flam if the guy isn't everything I said he was. I promise he is. Believe me."

"Well, if he's flying all the way in from Fort Worth to do this, I'd be a loser not to go with him," she said.

Lindsey grinned at her. "I thought you might feel that way. I guarantee we'll have the best looking dates at the party. No contest."

"I'm holding you to that, and I'll kick your butt if he's not everything you say he is, fangs or no fangs," Elle said.

"He is. He is," Lindsey replied.

* * *

The next day was bright and sunny. Lindsey was glad because she didn't want to carry food through the rain. The picnic itself was in one of the lodge buildings so there was plenty of room and seating. A group stood outside, beers in hand, talking, but the conversation stopped when Damon's black Camaro came around the curve, top down.

Heads turned as Damon pulled into a parking place and he helped Lindsey and Elle get food out of the car. He pressed a button on the key fob and the top automatically came up from its compartment and latched. Lindsey and Elle saw the looks on the faces of those outside and they grinned at each other. "Showtime," Lindsey murmured. Damon heard and his best smirk appeared as he walked to the building, carrying Lindsey's slow cooker.

Lindsey saw some of her former classmates occasionally, if they lived in town, and she greeted them. When they went inside the lodge, all talk stilled again as the mostly female crowd got an eyeful of Damon Salvatore. He wore his favorite faded black jeans, a snug black T-shirt and a blue chambray shirt, exactly the color of his eyes, left open and untucked. As usual, he didn't even have to try to look hot. He just did.

"Put the roast over on the counter, Damon, and plug in the cooker to keep it warm, if you will, hon," Lindsey said. She took the casserole Elle was carrying and placed them on a table with other food. She did see a friend who was living on Long Island, and who she hadn't seen since graduation. "Deb!" she said, hugging her friend.

"Lindsey! Oh, my God, it's so good to see you! You look fantastic! You know, you could age a little, just to make the rest of us feel better."

Lindsey laughed. "Nah. I think I'll just stop right where I am. This is a good look for me." Damon had to choke back a laugh at that comment. Elle giggled, too.

"It sure is! Elle! Good to see you, too! And who's this?" Deb said, indicating Damon.

"This is my husband, Damon Salvatore. Damon, this is Deb Buell. She was one of my good friends at Mountain View High."

Damon smiled at Deb. She was one of Lindsey's nice classmates, obviously. He extended his hand. "Good to meet you," he said.

"You too." When Damon turned his head at a noise, Deb looked at Lindsey and mouthed, "Wow." Lindsey just nodded in agreement. She could clearly hear the murmurs at the table behind them and was chuckling inwardly. This was good.

Lindsey strolled to the table. "Hey, you all. How are you?"

A chorus of "Fines" came back as they all stared at her husband.

"Close your mouth, Jeanette, if you don't want a fly to crawl in there," Lindsey said dryly, to one of the women.

"Is that a _cousin_ , Lindsey?" Jeanette said, not without a heavy dose of bitchy in her tone.

"No, Jeanette, his name is Damon, and he's my husband." Elle snickered at the feline grin of satisfaction on her friend's face.

"Your _husband_? Now, how did I not hear you got married?"

"Well, you've been holed up in your lovely home in Mountain Brook. It wasn't in the paper. No reason for you to know." Jeanette wasn't a horrible person; she was just a social climber who lived in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham.

Another of Lindsey's friends, Paula, chuckled at Jeanette. "How long have you two been married?" she asked.

"Two years next month, but we've known each other for a long time," Lindsey said.

"Cool," Paula replied and then grinned a little wickedly. "I have to ask: how old is he?"

Lindsey laughed. "He's legal."

Paula laughed, too. "I dunno. I'd say there's definitely something _illegal_ about him." She looked him up and down. "I mean, I'm pretty sure it's a felony for a man to have a body like that. He should audition for 'Magic Mike IV.'"

"He's got the moves, for sure," Lindsey agreed, and the mental image of Damon as a male stripper made a little frisson of lust run up her spine.

He was talking to Deb and seemed not to hear, but Lindsey knew better. She could feel his amusement through their bond.

"You all are just gross," Jeanette said. "He's your husband. Aren't you a little too old to be talking about him like that?" Her tone was downright prissy.

Lindsey shrugged. "I dunno, Jeanette. I mean, you're as young as you feel, right?" She directed a smoldering look toward her husband. "And he makes me feel pretty young. So I'll go with that."

"You always had more morals in high school, that's all."

Damon shot the woman a look, but Lindsey shook her head. "We're legally married. Preacher, ring, license, everything. What's immoral about lusting after your husband?"

"Especially when he looks like that," Paula added. "He's not my husband, but I could sure come up with a serious case of lust for him," she said and grinned. "You don't rent him out, do you?"

Lindsey said, "You know, I did, but I had to stop. He said it was making him feel cheap, like he was just a piece of meat. And that was the end of that." The three laughed out loud while Jeanette stood, looking disgusted and Damon rolled his eyes. They walked away from the table and Lindsey asked Paula, "So, does the Queen of Mountain View High plan on gracing us with her august presence?"

"She's coming tonight. Said she had something she had to do today," Paula answered. She knew Lindsey was talking about Lee Ann.

Lindsey nodded. "Probably foreclosing on old people's homes as a hobby. I'm surprised she hasn't been disbarred. I was checking on her a couple of days ago. She's been reprimanded by the Bar Association like, four times, and hauled up on ethics violations how many times? If she weren't chin deep in Alabama politicians who owe her favors, she'd have been booted out long before now." Lee Ann was a prominent attorney and represented numerous state politicians on ethics charges - and worse.

"How do you find this stuff out, Lindsey?" Paula asked.

"I'm a reporter," Lindsey answered. "I have ways of getting information. But it's all gonna come back to haunt her one of these days. You can only dance with the devil for so long before he starts asking for his cut. And when he does, that's it."

"You sound pretty sure," Paula said.

"Never seen it fail, yet. She'll get hers." _Especially if I have anything to do with it,_ she thought.

"What's her deal, anyway? I never did understand that." That came from Pam, also a mutual friend, who joined the conversation.

"Psychopath," Lindsey answered. "Certified, card-carrying. Look it up. So good to see you, Pam!"

"You too!" They hugged. "Looks like the grapevine was right, for a change."

"About what?"

"Word's out. The gossip mongers said Lindsey Hargrove strolled in with the best looking man in three counties, and was wearing a rock of an engagement ring."

Lindsey and Elle both laughed at that. "They're not completely right, though. I'd say the best looking man in three states, and I don't have a rock. But it is pretty. And there's a wedding band there to keep it company." She held up her left hand.

Pam grinned at her. "Vindication is a good thing. Where is he, anyway? I heard, but haven't seen yet. I just got here, and Jeanette accosted me at the door."

Lindsey pointed to Damon, who was still talking to Deb, and now to her husband, too. They were talking about New York City. "Dark hair, blue shirt."

Pam looked and her eyes popped. "Holy shit," she breathed, and Lindsey chuckled.

"I asked her if she was renting him out," Paula said.

"If you are, put my name on the waiting list," Pam agreed. "What was that line from that movie '50 Shades of Grey' - 'panty dropping hot'? Yeah, that fits. You guys coming to the big party tonight? I can't wait to see him in a suit."

"He cleans up well," Lindsey replied.

"I'd take him after he'd been rolling in the mud, and I'm a happily married woman," Pam sighed and Lindsey chuckled again.

"He does tend to have that effect on women," Elle put in. "You should have seen the look on my face when I saw him. I'm staying with Lindsey this weekend."

"I can only imagine," Pam answered.

The rest of the picnic went mostly along those lines. As they sat at the long table, eating, Damon made sure he was as close to Lindsey as he could get. He smiled at her frequently and generally made it clear she was the apple of his eye. He heard one conversation and was torn between confronting the bitchy little princesses and ignoring them. He chose ignoring them. He heard one say, "What has she got on him, anyway? He can't keep his hands off her. It's kind of disgusting, if you ask me."

The other woman answered, "He's probably a high class paid escort."

"I don't think so. They're wearing rings."

"Really? Well, I guess they are married, then. Too bad."

Lindsey looked up at her husband and winked at him.

* * *

When they left and were on the way back to the house, Lindsey laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Damon asked. He was fairly disgusted.

"Jealousy is so ugly and some of those heifers are just eat up with it. They can't stand the thought of anyone being happy."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this. I was afraid it might bother you," Damon said.

"Nah," she drawled. "I'm tickled."

Damon's phone beeped to alert for a text message and he checked it. "Jake's at the house. Said he's been there about 10 minutes.

"Well, we ought to be there in another ten or so," Lindsey said. She could hear Elle's heartbeat speed up. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

"A little," Elle answered.

"Don't be. Jake's a nice guy. Nothing to be nervous about," Lindsey reassured her friend.

Jake had made himself comfortable on the front porch when they drove up. He bounded down the steps as soon as Damon stopped the car. Lindsey got out. "Hey, Jake, good to see you," she said.

In characteristic fashion, Jake picked Lindsey up and swung her around in a breathless hug. "Hey, girl! Let me look at you. You're more beautiful every time I see you." He put her on the ground.

"Thanks, you old charmer, you. But come here and meet Elle Magee, my very best friend. Elle, this is Jakob Beite, but you can call him Jake."

Elle was standing next to the car, gawping at the handsome blond man. She extended her hand automatically and he took it and kissed it. "Your servant, Ma'am," he said with a bow and an irresistible grin.

"Hi, Jake. It's so nice of you to come all the way from Fort Worth, just to be my date for this party!" What beautiful manners he had.

"Well, I wouldn't do it for everyone, but for Lindsey and Damon - oh, by the way, hi Damon. Good to see you. Anyway, for them, I would." He offered his arm to Elle and then to Lindsey and walked with them up the steps to the porch, leaving Damon to grab the leftovers and casserole dishes from the car. He was highly irritated by the time he got in the house. The three were in the kitchen, where Lindsey had heated up some blood for Jake. He looked at Elle. "Doesn't bother you?" he asked. She shook her head. By now, she was nearly used to it. He drained the bag.

"Tea's in the fridge," Lindsey said, turning to see Damon. "Oh, honey! I didn't intend for you to get all that. I'm sorry. Here. Let me get that slow cooker." She took the crockery insert out and put it in the fridge. "Leftovers tomorrow," she said. She stretched. "I woke up early. I'm taking a nap before we have to get ready for tonight. Catch you guys in a little while." She started upstairs.

"That sounds like a winner of an idea to me," Damon agreed. "Elle, you know where the movies are. Make yourself at home, Jake." He made for the stairs, too.

"Oh, I will," Jake said. He looked over at Elle. "Want to get your tea and let's go sit on the porch? It's a beautiful afternoon. We can get to know each other a little better."

"That sounds good to me," Elle said.

As they made themselves comfortable, Jake said, "So tell me a little about yourself. How did you get to Austin?"

"Went to school there. I stayed because that's where I met my two ex husbands, and my kids are there."

He nodded. "How many children do you have?"

"Three. Only one is still at home. Gwen's just 15. Going on 45, though," she laughed. "She's gonna put me in the nuthouse or the poorhouse, one. She's with her dad this weekend."

"That's good. I mean, it's good she can go there. You get along with him all right?"

"So-so. I have to give him credit for being great for my older two. But he just ... I don't know. We just couldn't make it work. It happens."

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"I guess it's a silly question, but do you have any children?"

"None that I know of. As far as I know, I didn't have any children before I was turned, and I guess you knew we can't procreate."

She nodded. "Lindsey told me. I wonder why that is."

"Dunno. Maybe it's because so many vampires turn into sex fiends," he laughed. "I mean, Damon is a prime example. Before he met Lindsey - and for a while after - he was a man whore. His friend from Virginia called him a 'vampire gigolo.' And he was. Really. Obviously, he's done a 180, but before? Wow. I think part of it's because he couldn't find that one woman. Sometimes, the most faithful guys in the world are the former womanizers."

Elle laughed. "You may be right about that. What about you? Do you have a checkered past, too?"

"Not like Damon's, for sure. The woman who turned me - it was an accident - but she stayed with me. She taught me how to control myself and survive. Mary was actually a good woman. She was kind of strange, and got stranger as time went on, but did right by me. Damon and his brother are good examples of what happens when the sire doesn't do right by the newborn. He went through hell and God knows he deserves to have someone love him to the exclusion of everyone else. And she does."

"Yeah, that's so true. It's amazing how two people just connected like they did. Doesn't happen often. But they're crazy about each other. It's really beautiful and I'm so happy for both of them," Elle said.

Elle and Jake were sitting on the swing and he took her hand. His hand was surprisingly warm and lightly callused. She smiled at him. "Do you have any objections to kissing a man you just met?" he asked.

"Not really," she said and Jake tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. His mouth was tender and hot. She could feel him running the tip of his tongue along her lips and she allowed him entry. As he deepened the kiss, she sighed and threaded her fingers through his soft, thick hair. She didn't know if he was naturally a good kisser, or if all vampires were, but it was delicious.

Finally Jake raised his head and looked into her gray-green eyes. "I think I'm really gonna enjoy this party."

"Me too," she said with a smile.

* * *

 **Well? Can I get some love with some reviews? Please? :-D Just write them in the little box down there. Easy peasy. Reviews. Are. LOVE!**


	4. Chapter 4: Blood, Vengeance, Victory

**A/N: And the long awaited big party. I truly hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was tremendous fun. Hope that shows through. Thank you so very much to my readers and reviewers. You all are the BEST! Keep posting those wonderful reviews, and on with the show!**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

Lindsey surveyed her reflection in the mirror. She was pleased. Her dress fit well and looked nice, her hair, with the help of clip-in extensions, looked sophisticated, and the jewelry Damon bought for her when he found out her dress was red chiffon, was gorgeous. Her shoes were mid-heel silvery sandals.

The dress was mid-calf length and had a fitted, ruched bodice with a sweetheart neckline. The scarlet chiffon was gathered and sewn to one shoulder as a strap, leaving the other shoulder bare. Damon brought home a necklace, earrings and bracelet in rubies, and even found a beautiful ruby ring she could wear in lieu of her engagement ring, just so it all matched. The necklace was a teardrop ruby, surrounded by tiny diamonds, with a teardrop diamond at the top of the pendant. The earrings matched, and she wore a diamond and ruby tennis bracelet, and a marquise-cut ruby ring, flanked by a round diamond on either side. Lindsey didn't even want to think how much it all had cost. She still wasn't used to spending money like it grew on trees.

With his ever sharp sartorial eye, Damon matched his pocket square and silk tie to her dress. He'd done it before, and since he favored black suits, the little splash of color made good fashion sense to him. His suit this evening was Armani, and as usual, he was absolutely beyond gorgeous.

"You're stunning, babe," she heard him say as he walked into the bedroom. He came behind her and dropped a kiss on her shoulder.

"Thank you, sweetheart. As always, you're the picture of male sexiness."

He nosed in her hair with a grin and said, "And since it's chilly outside…" and he dropped a beautiful black satin wrap around her shoulders. He turned her to face him, pulled one end of the wrap through a slit in the other end and adjusted it. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, baby," she said, and pulled him close for a kiss before she put on her lipstick. "Let me go check on Elle." She applied her lipstick, made a kissy face at Damon and left the bedroom. She knocked on the guest bedroom door. "How you doing in there?" she asked.

"I'm good. Come in and see what you think." Elle opened the door and stood back so Lindsey could see her. "Oh, my God, Lindsey. You look incredible! I always knew red was your color, though. And the bling! It's so tasteful, but it's gorgeous!"

"Thanks," Lindsey laughed. "Damon insisted. You know I don't wear any jewelry except my watch. But he said I've got a sapphire set, so I need a ruby set, too. But turn for me. Oh, you look great!" Elle's dress was a knee-length navy dress with a lace yoke and cap sleeves. It had a V-dip in the back and was fitted through the hips to emphasize her curves. Her hair was moussed to a fare-thee-well into a high ponytail.

"I love this dress. I don't have any jewelry, much, but the dress is beautiful."

"Be right back," Lindsey said. She returned in just a moment with a box. "Wear these for me. I want you to."

Elle opened the box to see the sapphire earrings and necklace Damon bought for Lindsey in 2004 in Birmingham. "Oh, Lindsey. I can't."

"You can. Please. Actresses borrow or rent Harry Winston jewelry for Oscar night. What's the difference? You're just borrowing it from me, is all."

"Are you sure? If something happened to it…"

"Damon would replace it. Don't worry. I really want you to."

Elle accepted the box. "All right. Thank you so much, Lindsey." She added the jewelry. "Wow. It really brings the dress to life, doesn't it?"

"It does. I heard Jake pull up and Damon just went downstairs to let him in. We'll let him get into the house, and then we'll go downstairs together, so he can see you."

"I'm so nervous!" Elle confessed.

"Don't be. What'd I tell you about us having the best looking men there? I've seen Jake in a suit. He's devastating. It's not an exaggeration to say _we_ will be the belles of the ball tonight."

"And about damn time, I say!" Elle agreed and they high-fived.

"You know it, sister friend. Let's go wow our men and take the Mountain View High School Class of 1986 by storm!" They were giggling like teens when they got to the top of the stairs. Damon and Jakob both looked up to see them. Lindsey went down first and hugged Jake, and Elle followed behind her. Lindsey was watching his face, and saw his expression turn to frank admiration as Elle came down the stairs. She nodded in satisfaction and Damon squeezed her hand.

Jake took her hand and kissed it as she reached the bottom of the steps. "Elle, you are beautiful." He grinned at Damon. "Well, you always did manage to fix it so we ended up with the prettiest girls. You've done it again. Every guy in the room's gonna wish they were us tonight."

"That's the idea, Jake. You and Elle want to follow us to the country club?"

"Sure," he answered.

* * *

On the drive over to the country club, Jake picked up Elle's hand. "That dress is gorgeous on you. I'm not surprised Lindsey loaned you her sapphires. They really are beautiful."

"You've seen them before?"

"Yeah, she wore them at this thing I came to earlier this year."

"Oh. O.K. She was so sweet to loan them to me."

"Yeah, but you knew she wouldn't mind you wearing them. She's glad to do it for you."

"I know she is. I still can't believe you flew all the way from Fort Worth for a date, though."

Jake laughed. "I've done crazier things, for sure. And believe me, you're worth the trip."

"You don't even know me that well."

"Not that well, true. I do know you're one hell of a kisser, though."

Elle ducked her head, a little embarrassed. "So how do we say we met?" she asked.

"Oh, just say we both live in Texas and met through Damon and Lindsey. It's the truth, and I promise no one else will ask too many questions about it. And I still say you're one hell of a kisser," he chuckled.

"Right back at you," she said with a grin. "I never did tell you, but you look incredible tonight, too."

"Why thank you, ma'am!" he said. "I grew up in an era where young men were expected to know how to wear a suit. Of course, Damon really does it well because he grew up with money and had a dancing master come in to teach him how to dance properly. I grew up in a little village in what's now southwestern Germany, near Switzerland. My father was a dairy farmer."

"Wow. How did you get to the U.S.?"

"I came in 1868. I wanted to see the world, and I worked for three whole years to get my passage. I traveled steerage, like so many of my people. I had an older brother who already lived in Philadelphia, so I went to him - that's how I got to stay - and worked for him for a while, and then went out West. The rest is history, I guess you'd say."

"Amazing. Have you ever been back?"

He nodded. "A few times. The land is still in the family, even through World War II. I was there in 1945, not long after the surrender. I saw German soldiers with last names I recognized. It was very sobering."

"I'm sure it was. Was anything left of your village?"

"Not a great deal. It had taken a pounding during the Great War, also. But people tend to survive, and apparently, many of the families did."

"So you didn't speak a word of English when you got here, then?" Elle was fascinated.

"Nope. But by the time I met Damon, I was fluent. Still had something of an accent, but even that's gone now, unless I'm speaking German. I read a couple of German newspapers regularly, just to keep it my head. I wouldn't mind going back now, that they've rebuilt and things are good there, again."

"Say something in German for me," she said.

Jake chuckled. " _Sie sind schön, liebchen_. How's that?" he asked.

"What does it mean?"

"You're beautiful, sweetheart. And you are."

She laughed. "I swear, between you and Damon, I'm not sure who's smoother. You're both silver-tongued devils. And those courtly, Old World manners don't hurt, either."

"Some things, you keep. Good manners are worth their weight in gold."

"They are. I've tried to teach the kiddos that, with varying degrees of success. Liam and Erin did pretty well, but Gwen is just too cool for school and it's been a struggle getting her to understand why it's important."

"Teenagers aren't easy, regardless." He turned the car into a long driveway. "Looks like we're here. Wow. They really went all out," Jake remarked, as they saw the country club, beautifully lit.

"Tell me about it," Elle agreed.

Damon and Lindsey were saying much the same thing as they pulled to the front of the club and a parking valet met them. He took Damon's keys and Lindsey could see him quiver in his shoes as Damon said, "Be careful with it."

"Absolutely, sir," the kid said.

They waited until Elle and Jakob caught up and went through the front doors. "You ladies ready?" Jakob asked.

"What do _you_ think?" Lindsey shot back.

"I know what I think," Damon said.

"What's that, sugar?" Lindsey answered.

"That my badass, kick-ass, sexy-as-hell steel magnolia and her equally sexy friend are gonna rock the house. Not another woman is gonna touch either of you," he murmured. The grin he got from his wife and mate was worth a few hours of listening to 80s music. She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and they walked into the ballroom. There were a good number of people there - Lindsey estimated about 150 or so. She signed the guest book and she and Damon went to the table where Deb and her husband were sitting.

"Hey guys," Lindsey said. "Everything just getting started?"

"Yeah," Deb answered. "You look incredible. I love that dress!"

"Thanks so much. I don't buy this kind of stuff often, so I wanted something nice that I could wear again," she explained.

"I think you succeeded," Deb said and whispered to her, "Those rubies are beautiful. Did Damon get them for you?" Lindsey nodded. "He has great taste. Oh! Is that Elle's date?"

"Mmm-hmm. Jakob. He's an old friend."

Deb sat back and grinned. "You two managed to come in with the best looking men here. And you're married to yours! It's about time things came around for both of you."

Damon was talking to Deb's husband, but she knew he heard the exchange. She could tell.

"Oh- the queen bee arrived about 10 minutes before you all did," Deb said.

"Do tell. I'm surprised she didn't come in after everything started so she would be fashionably late," Lindsey answered, the snark heavy in her voice.

Deb chuckled. "Me too. But no, she's been campaigning, instead. Says she's 'thinking' about running for state attorney general in two years."

"Seriously? With all her ethics violations? That's gonna be a fascinating campaign if she goes through with it," Lindsey snickered, her reporter's mind immediately jumping ahead to the incredible stories a good journalist could write about the subject. She tingled all over, just thinking about it.

"I can see the wheels turning, Lin," Deb said.

"Yeah, but it all depends on what I'm doing in two years. I may be able to call some friends and put them on the scent, if nothing else."

"I'll look forward to seeing what happens. Here's Elle," she said.

Jake introduced himself to Deb and her husband and the group was soon talking companionably. Lindsey watched the dynamics, fascinated. Jake was gregarious by nature, and, as Damon put it, would talk to a tree. Damon would talk to one or two people, but was generally more reserved in a group, unless he knew everyone - especially a group of humans. Lindsey wouldn't call Damon shy, by any means, but he was an introvert - until he got to know you. Then, all bets were off. Being around a large group of people for extended periods of time drove him crazy. He had to get away to recharge his mental and emotional batteries. Lindsey was the same way, so she understood. Fortunately, with Jake at the table, Damon didn't have to do much of the talking. The funny thing was that Damon could be very outgoing in a group - downright obnoxious, in fact. But Lindsey knew that was largely a defense mechanism.

Pam and Paula also found their friends, so the ladies were talking animatedly among themselves. Finally, Pam looked over to the other end of the room. "Looks like Her Majesty is holding court," she said.

Lindsey glanced over also, and shamelessly tuned her hearing into what they were saying. They were running other people down, as usual. Good Lord, did 30 years not change a thing about that woman? She even had the same crowd of sycophants and toadies! Damon got up to go to the bar. As he did, he leaned over to whisper in Lindsey's ear, "Just remember, sugar: _you're_ at the top of the food chain, now," and with a caress of her shoulder, he headed to find some bourbon.

She grinned. "You know, I think it's time we did some mingling. Jake, you and Pete keep talking. You can keep Damon entertained when he gets back," she said, gesturing to Deb's husband.

Their group did mingle around, greeting friends, seeing who they knew, and talking. They had been up and talking for a while, when Elle poked Lindsey. "Look who sniffed out your husband," she said.

Lindsey saw Lee Ann talking to Damon. She was leaning in, and he would lean away, obviously not interested. "Why didn't he put her on the road?" Elle said.

"He's gonna give me the pleasure of doing it," Lindsey answered, glad she had filled up on blood before they left. It meant all her vampire tricks should be working nicely, and she wasn't going to rip that wench's head off for running a hand down Damon's arm. She strolled over to her husband. "Why Lee Ann. It's been a long time," she said pleasantly. She could feel Damon's amusement through their bond, but even if they didn't have it, she could see the laughter turning his eyes even bluer.

"Yeah, it has. How are you?" The woman's tone was irritated, but that was normal for her.

"Doing well. Yourself?"

"Good."

"I see you've met my husband, Damon. Damon, this is Lee Ann Robinson." Good thing she still used her maiden name professionally, since Lindsey couldn't remember the name of her last ex.

"She introduced herself," he answered dryly. Most people would have beat a hasty retreat at the level of snark in Damon's tone, but Lee Ann was oblivious.

"And we've just been getting to know each other!" Lee Ann said, and she did it again - ran her hand down Damon's arm. He moved it without comment, but Lindsey could see he wasn't going to put up with much more.

"Lee Ann, if I were you, I wouldn't touch Damon. He's not very comfortable with that," Lindsey said. And he wasn't.

"What's the matter, Lindsey? Afraid I'm gonna steal your hubby or something? You're afraid you can't keep him happy, right? So if a real woman comes around, you might lose him? So sad."

Well, that did it. Screw being polite and using socially acceptable manners. Lindsey glanced around. Fortunately, there was no one in their immediate vicinity. "Lee Ann, since tact and diplomacy are obviously wasted on you, to say nothing of old fashioned good manners, I'll be blunt. Keep your grubby paws off my husband. Period."

Lee Ann smirked at her. "Or you'll do what? I mean, really? What will _you_ do to me? Really?"

Lindsey glanced at Damon. "Should I tell her what I'll _really_ do?"

"By all means," he smirked. This should be good.

"Well, Lee Ann," Lindsey said, stepping closer to the woman. And she hissed, "If so much as the fringe on that trashy stripper dress you're wearing even brushes up against my husband, I will run you down, I will catch you and I will _EAT_ you!" And Lindsey flashed her fangs for a split second, and her eyes darkened.

"What the HELL?" Lee Ann yelled, but when she looked at Lindsey, her face was completely normal. Lindsey vamped out just long enough for Lee Ann to see it, but briefly enough to make her doubt what she saw. She learned that trick from her husband.

Damon was hard put not to roll with laughter. He slipped an arm around Lindsey's shoulders. "C'mon, you gorgeous woman. Let's go sit down."

"All right," Lindsey answered, snuggling close to Damon's side. But she looked back at Lee Ann, who was obviously torn between fear and disbelief. "Remember," she said, low.

"What happened?" Elle said, as she got to Lindsey.

"Let's sit at the table and I'll tell you, she answered. When they were seated, Lindsey told Elle the story.

Elle started laughing. "Oh, my God. That's priceless! You told her you'd _eat_ her? I love it!"

"Turned me on, let me tell you," Damon said as he slid his fingers along the nape of Lindsey's neck.

"That doesn't count. Everything turns you on," Lindsey answered.

Damon snorted, but didn't say anything else. Lindsey had no idea. When she showed her fangs to that bitch and threatened to eat her, it was all he could do to keep from having his wicked way with his mate right there. _Later,_ he promised himself.

* * *

Lindsey saw a few more friends and went to speak with them. Someone bumped into her. She looked to see a man, now bald, with a beer belly and a hangdog expression. She glanced at his nametag. "Well, Jay Hill. Hello there," she said.

"L-Lindsey?" he stammered.

"Who else?" she answered.

"You look great."

"Thanks."

"Are you here with anyone?" he asked.

"My husband. Over there," she gestured. "Dark hair, dark suit."

Jay saw Damon, lounging back in his chair, and he looked at Lindsey. "That's your husband?"

"Sure is. Why?"

"Oh, um, nothing. They must have been talking about someone else," he stammered.

Lindsey narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are 'they,' and what were 'they' saying?" she asked pleasantly, but reinforcing the question with compulsion.

"It was Lee Ann and Jeanette and they said he was a male escort, not your husband," Jay replied, a little mechanically. "They said you must have hired him for the reunion. They're telling everybody."

"I see. Thank you Jay. Now run along and forget we had this conversation - except that you know for sure Damon is indeed my husband."

"O.K. Good to see you, Lindsey."

"You too, Jay."

Lindsey looked over at Damon. At barely 20 feet away, she knew he heard the exchange. He rolled his eyes and she shrugged. She would get her own back at Lee Ann, but she'd wait. She needed some time to think, in any case. She went to the bar for a strawberry daiquiri, and when she sat down next to Damon, murmured to him, "Where's your flask?"

"Coat pocket. Need it?"

"Yes."

Damon reached into his pocket and placed the flask of blood on Lindsey's lap. She discreetly poured some blood into her drink, capped the flask, put it back into Damon's lap and sipped her daiquiri. "That's better," she said.

"So how are you gonna kill that bitch so it looks like an accident?"

"I'm not."

"I'll do it," Damon said.

"I know you would and I appreciate it, but no, this is going to require subtlety."

He cleared his throat. "I'm capable of being subtle."

She patted his knee. "I know, sweetheart."

Jakob heard the exchange, too. "What's up?"

Lindsey sighed and filled him in, along with Elle, and she rolled her eyes. "Jeanette tried that tactic this afternoon at the picnic. Such an airhead," Elle said.

"And would've forgotten it if an agitator hadn't been stirring the pot," Lindsey mused. A ghost of an idea occurred to her, but she needed to ponder it a little while longer. "Sounds like the DJ finally got it in gear," she said. "Let's do some dancing."

"You're gonna make me listen to that awful music, aren't you?" Damon complained.

"It's not all awful. Most of it's pretty good, in fact. But yes, you're going to listen to it and dance with me to make me very happy," Lindsey answered.

"When you put it that way…," he said.

Lindsey laughed. "Oh c'mon, grandpa. Let's go show 'em how it's done." She was needling Damon, but she didn't care. Jake was chuckling quietly and led Elle to the dance floor.

* * *

Several songs played, and Lindsey and Damon danced, and even when was only half-hearted about it, he was still a better dancer than 99 percent of the other guys. The next song started and Lindsey grinned widely at Damon. "Remember this one?" she asked. It was "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Damon returned her grin.

"Yeah. I think we moved pretty well to this one."

"I know we did," Lindsey answered as Damon moved behind her, hands on her waist and they shimmied against each other, doing a very good impression of having sex on the dance floor. Jake and Elle caught on and were doing a face to face version.

"That's just nasty and vulgar," Jeanette griped, as she watched. "I thought Lindsey was raised better than that. Elle, too."

"Oh, shut up, you heifer," Pam snapped. "You're just eat up with jealousy because you're not doing the dirty bop with the best looking men in the room. "Karma's a bitch, isn't she?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you treated both of them like they were so far beneath you. They didn't grow up with money, so they didn't matter. Now, here they are, both looking like a million bucks - certainly better than you - and with gorgeous men, the likes of whom never darkened the doors of Mountain View High, and you can't _stand_ it. Well, that's what you get."

"Now you're being mean," Jeanette whined.

"Oh, please. Grow _up_ , would you?" Pam said. She was enjoying the sight of her friend having such an uninhibited good time with her husband. And they were having a great time, too. During the last chorus, Damon spun Lindsey to face him and with his hands on her back, and hers on his hips, they did a bump and grind that raised the temperature in the room by at least 10 degrees.

Fortunately, a slow dance followed that song, and as they swayed to the music, Damon said in her ear, "What was that? Unleashing your inner stripper?"

"You didn't mind, did you?"

He chuckled. "Oh, hell no. I didn't mind. Just wondering if I can expect more of the same when we get home."

"Would you like to see more of the same?' she asked.

"You know I would."

"I'll take it under advisement," she whispered.

When the song ended, Damon gave Lindsey a sweet kiss and she stroked his cheek. "Back in a couple of minutes," she said. She went to the ladies room and brushed her hair. She was ready to leave when the door opened and Lee Ann walked inside, clearly pissed. She stood in front of the door, and Lindsey grinned. As if an unaltered human could keep her from leaving. Still, this was the opening she was looking for, and Lee Ann provided it herself. "What do you want, Lee Ann?" Lindsey said.

"I want to know what the hell you told Jay Hill! I saw you talking to him."

"Do you have a problem with that?" She kept her tone even.

"What was that when you told me you'd eat me? Was that some kind of psycho threat?" Lee Ann's tone was pure venom.

Lindsey laughed. "No, Lee Ann. It was a promise. And now, don't move and don't scream." Well, what about that? Compulsion worked on her. Lindsey wasn't sure if it would or not.

"What have you done to me?" she hissed.

"Nothing - yet. And if you act decently, I won't. Lee Ann, we had our differences in high school. I wondered then if you were a true psychopath and I have to think, yes, you were. Still are. You haven't changed much, and that's sad. But Damon is very much my husband. He's not a high-priced male escort, and when we get through with our little talk, you're going to tell the truth to everyone you lied to."

"The hell I will!"

"You will," Lindsey said. She was glad she had gotten hold of Damon's flask. It had been a while since she had used this much compulsion. She sat on the counter in the bathroom. "And now you're wondering how all this has happened. Well, I debated over whether I should tell you the truth, and I thought, yes, since your most favorite thing on earth is knowing everyone's secrets, the better to use them against the person some day. Gives you power over them. I understand that.

"So, it struck me that one of the worst punishments anyone could inflict on you - other than revealing all your dirty laundry, which I have no doubt you'll do all by yourself one of these days, with no help from me - would be to know something so incredible, so potentially damaging and dangerous about someone you hate - and not be able to say a word about it. You'll spend the rest of your life with this secret eating away at your brain, and you'll never be able to tell anyone. You won't be able to, but even if you told someone the whole truth, they'd never believe you. They'd say you were crazy, or delusional. But you'll never be able to communicate this secret in any shape, form or fashion. It's going to scream inside your head, but you'll never tell a soul."

Lee Ann was starting to feel fear, but sneered, "So what's this big secret?"

"Very simple. Damon and I are vampires. I'm very recently turned, but he was born in 1839 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was turned in 1864. We met in 2004, and married two years ago. He will never age, and neither will I. So this is probably the last time you'll see me. We'll have to leave Alabama in ten years or so, and stay gone for a while, since we don't age. People notice these things."

"You're the crazy one. You're such a liar," Lee Ann snapped. "If you're a vampire, why don't you prove it?"

Lindsey laughed at that. "I figured you'd say that. Good thing I'm the one standing here, and not Damon. He's already offered to kill you for me. And I can assure you he'd never stand trial for it. But I didn't think we needed a murder at the reunion, so I asked him not to. And it would never bother him, since he'd consider it a justified kill. So you owe your miserable life to me tonight, Lee Ann, I'm telling you."

"You still haven't done anything but a lot of talking."

"And the fact you can't move or scream doesn't tell you anything? All right, then, you asked for it." With the speed of a striking tiger, Lindsey vamped out, grabbed Lee Ann and sank her fangs deep into her neck. She could hear the woman's frantic heartbeat and could smell her fear. It was so easy to understand how vampires lost control. After several swallows of blood, Lindsey pushed her back and Lee Ann watched as she wiped the blood from her mouth and licked her fingers clean. "Tasty," she said.

"But I'll have to do something about your neck. Look in the mirror, Lee Ann, and see what I can do to you. Tell me if I was lying about being able to run you down, catch you and eat you. I survive on human blood. Regular food too, but blood keeps me here. I generally drink from blood bags because I'm not usually interested in hurting anyone. But you needed a lesson, and I needed the extra blood. As my gorgeous husband is fond of saying, I'm at the top of the food chain, Lee Ann. You're just a happy meal on legs, if that's what I want you to be. Touch those marks so you'll know they were really there. See the blood on your fingers. I'm your worst nightmare, Lee Ann. But unlike you, I choose not to give in to the evil. I choose to take a better road."

Lindsey nicked her finger and rubbed her blood over the puncture wounds. They healed and she wiped the excess blood away with a damp tissue. "All better. Vampire blood heals. And you leave without a trace of what happened being left on you. But you'll remember everything - you just won't be able to communicate it to anyone or anything, ever, for any reason. And one of these days, Lee Ann, all your secrets will be laid bare in public. You'll do it to yourself, and that's not compulsion - that's just knowing how your kind operates. But when it all comes crashing down, you'll remember our little chat. Oh - and you're going to tell all your colleagues how you tormented a girl in high school who was developmentally disabled, and how much enjoyment you got out of it. Now go on out of here, just like nothing happened."

As Lee Ann walked out of the bathroom, looking a little dazed, Elle came in. "Everything all right?"

Lindsey was reapplying her lipstick. "Just dandy." She grinned at Elle.

"Is that so? Damon was fretting. He said he could tell through your bond that something was going on, but he didn't know what."

Lindsey send a pulse of reassurance through the bond to Damon then turned and leaned against the counter. "I bit Lee Ann, told her what we are, and then compelled her to remember, but never be able to tell."

"You _bit_ her?" Elle was equal parts shocked and thrilled.

"Yep. She was terrified, too. I healed the wounds, though. They don't show."

"I can't believe it. I mean, I can, but shit!" Elle started to laugh. "And you compelled her to know, and never tell. Oh, that is so perfect! She can never tell anyone! She'll be so miserable!"

"That's what I thought. And I also arranged it so she's going to tell all her colleagues at the law firm how she treated JoDean, and how much she liked doing it. How about that? I thought it was time that child got a little justice, whether she ever knows about it or not."

Elle shook her head slowly and then bowed elaborately. "I kneel to you, dear friend. You have a devious mind, the likes of which I've never seen."

Lindsey snorted. "One of Damon's frenemies said the same thing." She was referring to Klaus.

"I always knew you were scary smart, but that was downright _inspired_! It's exquisite."

"Thank you. I was kind of pleased with it, myself. Revenge that people visit on themselves is always the best kind."

Elle laughed. "I know it. Shall we get back to the party?"

"Oh, let's do. They had some tasty looking food, and I've been too busy playing badass vampire chick to take advantage of it." She grinned at her friend, displaying her fangs, much to Elle's amusement.

"Better put those things up," she cautioned and the two walked out of the bathroom giggling.

Lindsey had a full plate of food when Damon found her. "Where have you been?"

"Slaying a dragon bitch," she answered.

"I knew you bit her. I could smell it on her. You are the poster child for control, no doubt. How'd you pull away?"

"Wouldn't have served my greater agenda. I'll tell you all about it on the way home. Right now, I'm ready to eat and get my party on."

Damon laughed. He could feel smug satisfaction all along their bond. "Let's do it, then." They danced and drank the rest of the night away. Every time Lindsey looked to the side, she saw Lee Ann in the crowd, clearly desperate to tell what she knew, but unable to do so. Lindsey knew Damon would love it when she told him.

All in all, Lindsey would call the reunion a resounding success.

* * *

 **NO, this is NOT the end! There will be one more chapter to go. I'll definitely include some sweet lemony goodness with Damon. I just need some opinions: would you like to see a love scene with Jakob and Elle? If so, TELL ME! Either leave word in a review or PM me. I genuinely want to know. Thank you again, and remember: Reviews. Are. Love!**


	5. Chapter 5: You Make Lovin' Fun

**A/N: Well, the chapter title kind of says it all (with thanks to Fleetwood Mac!) so you should pretty much know what to expect, but maybe I'll surprise you a little.**

 **One more chapter and I'll ring the curtain down on this one. But in the meantime, please enjoy some delicious, lemony sweet vampire goodness!**

 **Please keep those reviews coming in! I do appreciate each one. Thank you also for the follows and faves! You guys make my day!**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

"I married an evil, evil woman," Damon chuckled when Lindsey told him about Lee Ann. "I thought you were so nice and so sweet, but you're just _mean_." He laughed again. Lindsey knew he would enjoy it, knowing his appreciation for sneaky ways of getting even.

"You knew I had a mean streak when you married me. Don't act like you didn't," she said.

"Oh, I knew, believe me. I've been knowing that. You just don't let it come out to play very often," he answered, as he ran his hand up her thigh.

"There's a reason for that. I'm not a very nice person when it happens."

Damon snickered. "You can't be nice all the time. I wouldn't want you to be. In fact, I love seeing that devious mind of yours at work. Gets me all hot and bothered. Wish I'd been in the ladies room to see you go after that psycho bitch. Know what I'd have done?"

Lindsey shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Gonna tell you anyway. After you bit her, I'd have pushed you up against the wall and given you a mind-blowing orgasm and made her watch the whole thing."

"And you say _I'm_ evil."

"Well, I've been evil a lot longer than you have," he teased her.

"That's true. Not even gonna argue with you on that one," she returned.

"Ooooh, aren't you full of yourself tonight? I can't wait to get you home. We may not make it to the bedroom."

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "We have _company_ , Damon! Remember?"

He handed her his phone. "Read the latest text."

She looked at it. " _Elle and I are going back to the hotel. Didn't want you to worry."_

"Well, I guess that settles that. Wonder if he's a first date biter?" she mused.

Damon laughed out loud. "God, you are so nosy!"

"Well, you _definitely_ knew that when you married me!" she shot back.

"You got that right." His hand wandered back up her thigh.

"Keep your mind on your driving. You know you don't want to wreck this car."

"I excel at multi-tasking."

"Drive," was her only reply, and Damon moved his hand to take hers and he kissed her fingertips.

"So we can call the evening a hit, then?" he asked.

"I think we can."

* * *

"Can vampires get drunk?" Elle asked Jake on the way to his hotel.

"Yeah, but it takes a lot of booze and doesn't last that long. Why?"

"Just curious. Not something I ever thought about. Oh, hell. I never thought my best friend would be a vampire, either. I never thought there _was_ any such thing. Let's just say this weekend has been filled with surprises."

Jakob laughed out loud at that. "I guess it has been. That's a lot to get hit with when you just think you're going to see an old friend. It's better than how Lindsey found out about us, though."

"Oh, I know! Can you imagine? Kidnapped off the streets and then to have some strange man dumped on you, with a folder telling you he's a vampire. That is messed up on every possible level."

"Tell me about it."

Elle sighed. "I can't even begin to think how she must have felt when she opened that folder, already scared to death, and having someone tell her she's gonna get a roomie and that he's a vampire! She must have thought she was going crazy. So she goes to the fridge and sees all these blood bags. What a freak out! Oh, and then, did you know what Damon's very first words were to her?"

"With him, there's no telling," Jake answered.

"I know. But she's standing there, looking at all that blood and he says, 'Unless you're on the menu, you might consider giving me one of those, instead of just staring at them in shocked amazement.' Can you believe that?"

Jakob shook his head. "No wonder she hated him. Oh yeah, I can believe it. He can be such a dick. But I mean, what does that tell you about Lindsey, knowing what a scary SOB Damon can be, and she not only made friends with him and managed to live with him without either one of them killing the other one, but ended up marrying him? Pretty amazing."

Elle nodded. "It really is. But you know, the only thing Lindsey will take credit for, as far as her character goes, is being intelligent. She'll say right out she's smart, but tell her she went above and beyond the call or something, and she clams up, turns red and denies it was anything special. And she means it!"

"I know. Pretty amazing to raise three kids in this world, and have them turn out all right, too," he said, referring to Elle's children.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. My second husband really did a good job, too. He's a good dad."

"I suspect their mom is OK too, though," he answered.

"I think I can say I did the best I could."

"I'm sure you did."

When they got to Jake's hotel room, he put the key card in and turned to her. "You're sure this is OK?"

"Yeah. I mean, if it gets weird or anything, I know you'll take me back to Lindsey's place."

"Of course I will," he assured her.

When they got into the room, Elle sat on the edge of the bed and slipped off her heels. "God, but that feels good. I know heels don't bother Lindsey anymore, but they bother me after a while, these days." She looked up at Jakob. "How does it feel not to age?"

"Pretty good, most of the time, but it has its drawbacks. You can't stay in one place for too, too long. People start noticing you're not aging."

Elle nodded. "I can see that. How have you dealt with living in Fort Worth all these years?"

He shrugged. "Well, Fort Worth is a little bigger than it was when I moved in. So about every 20 years or so, I leave for a while and then come back. People really don't have memories that long, so it's worked out."

"That's good. You know, after being with Lindsey and Damon all weekend, really, I wouldn't have known anything was up if they didn't drink blood in front of me. Lindsey cooks and they eat human food, so you wouldn't know."

He grinned. "That's deliberate, but I'd walk in from Fort Worth for one of Lindsey Salvatore's Sunday dinners. That woman can _cook_! She writes, she sings. Is there anything she's not good at?"

"Algebra," Elle said decidedly. "Believe me. I tutored her in it, and she still barely passed. She would cry when she did her homework because it was such a mystery to her. Captain of the scholar's bowl team and couldn't solve an algebra equation if her life depended on it. Chemistry, either. She was hopeless. She wasn't meant to be an engineer, that's for sure."

"Were you on scholar's bowl too?" Jake asked. He still found high school life interesting.

"Yeah, we were actually co-captains. When we were rolling, nobody could touch us. At a tournament senior year, one of the other school's team sponsors - you know, a teacher - asked Lindsey if she and I were graduating that year. When Lindsey said we were, the teacher said, 'thank goodness!' and then looked so embarrassed that she would say that. I'll never forget what Lindsey said. She gave her this huge grin and said, 'You couldn't have paid us a higher compliment!' It really tickled her."

Jakob was laughing at that. "Damon told me she kicks his ass in Trivial Pursuit all the time. And he's no slouch. He's a smart cookie, too. But I can't imagine Lindsey with someone who wasn't extremely intelligent."

"Me either. She'd be bored to death. So tell me about you. Lindsey said you and Damon were genuine cowboys for a while."

"We were. I've done a lot of different things. But being a cowboy was never dull, that's for sure. I mean, it could get monotonous, but you still had to stay alert. You never knew what might happen." He took off his coat and tossed it to a chair and then slipped off his shoes. He unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up. "Mr. Fashion Plate Salvatore wears cufflinks, but I've never fooled with them." He laughed, then took Elle's hand and drew her to her feet. He tipped her chin up and kissed her. When his tongue asked for entrance, she gave it and he pulled her into a soft, hot kiss that made her brain shut down. She could feel his hand loosening her ponytail and he combed his fingers through its length. In turn, Elle ran her hands through Jakob's thick blond hair.

Jakob brought his hands down to Elle's waist and brought her hips to his. She looked up at him. "How tall are you?"

"About 6'3 or so. Why?"

"I feel so short next to you."

He laughed softly. "I like girls your height. But when you're horizontal, it doesn't matter nearly as much."

"No, I suppose it doesn't," Elle said and kissed him again. He was absolutely the best kisser she had never encountered. If he did everything else as well as he kissed… She moved her hands to his chest and started unbuttoning his shirt. When she finally pulled her lips from his, she whispered, "So, is there anything I need to know about sex with a vampire?"

He laughed and ran the back of his hand down her cheek. "It'll ruin you for sex with a human. Once you go vamp, you never go back. Vampire men are known for their, well, staying power."

"Is that so? I'm gonna need a complete demonstration, then," she replied as she pulled his shirt from the waist of his slacks and pushed it off his shoulders. Her mouth dropped open as she took in his sculpted chest and abs.

"Happy to help," he answered. "See something you like?"

"You. I'm too old to be coy."

"I like a woman who's not afraid to tell me what she wants. I'm starting to see the attraction of dating women who are a little more mature." He reached for her zipper at the back of her dress. "Do you want this?"

"Yeah. Everybody needs to let loose once in a while. Why not tonight?"

"Why not, indeed?" He kissed her again as he unzipped her dress. "We might as well get this out of the way first, since you know I'm not exactly your run-of-the-mill date."

"What are you talking about?" Elle asked.

Jake kissed her neck and licked her skin. "Fangs are not just for feeding. They can be used in another way, too. Believe it or not, they can make you feel a lot of pleasure."

"Is that so?"

"It is. I can make sure you have the best orgasm of your life, especially if you let me just take a little sip of your blood at the right moment. I promise it won't hurt and I also promise I will not take too much blood. But I guarantee it will make it better for both of us. And you know you can believe me because you know what Lindsey would do to me if I hurt you. If you don't want to, it's not a problem for me; we'll have a good time either way. And you don't have to tell me right now. I just wanted you to be aware."

Well, this was a wrinkle that hadn't occurred to Elle. But, apparently, if Damon the wild man could control himself with Lindsey when she was human, Jakob could do it now. "I don't know what I want."

He smiled. "It's all right. We're not there yet." He slid her dress down her body. "You're a beautiful woman, Elle."

"Thank you. I guess I don't have to tell you how hot you are, do I, Jake?"

"No, but it's still nice to hear it once in a while." He brought her hands to his waist. "They're not falling off by themselves," he teased her. "Or are you gonna make me do all the work?"

"I think I can take care of this," she said, a little shyly. She hadn't expected to be standing in a hotel room with a gorgeous man who was a vampire, just about to have what she hoped would be a wild night with him. She unbuttoned his pants and then unzipped them and pulled them down his hips. His dark blue briefs were nothing but hot on him and she looked up at his body, at the fine down of blond hair on his chest, and to the blue arrowhead on a chain around his neck. It was sinfully beautiful on him. "What's this?" she said, touching it.

"My daylight token. Lets me walk around in the sun. Like Lindsey's hummingbird."

"I see. It's gorgeous."

"Thank you. I've always liked it." He made a point of stroking his hand down her hair and back slowly, wanting to reassure her, stopping at the small of her back. He nuzzled into her hair and neck as he spread his hands over her back, and the feel of his warm, lightly callused hands on her skin was intoxicating. He moved to turn the comforter back on the bed and was kissing her again before she could think.

Jakob turned to sit down on the bed and gently tugged Elle's hand so she sat down, too. His hand drifted down to the clasp on her bra and he undid it with one hand. He pulled the straps down her arms and reached over to turn the light out by the bed, leaving only a small, dim lamp on the desk that barely lit the room. "Lie down, babe. I'll take care of you, I promise," he murmured, and she did as he asked.

Elle wasn't sure what she wanted, other than to feel his body next to hers, which she got in the next minute. He took most of his weight on his elbows, but she could feel how strong his body was above her, and could feel his desire against her thigh. His mouth was on hers again, and then down her neck, until he finally took her nipple in his mouth and suckled it gently. She moaned as he took the other one and she felt his fingers seemingly everywhere on her body, firing her nerve endings until he found her center and stroked her. He made a pleased noise in his throat when he found she was ready for him.

Elle wanted Jake as much as she'd ever wanted any man, and all he had done was touch and kiss her. But it seemed his hands knew exactly where she needed them to be at any given moment, and she instinctively spread her legs as he reached the juncture of her thighs, and felt his fingers touch her wetness underneath her panties. So suddenly it made her gasp, her underwear was gone and she felt one of Jake's fingers inside her body, and his thumb stroking her sweet spot.

"Is that good?" he whispered to her. She nodded and whimpered. He chuckled in his chest and the sound made her arch to his hand. "Easy, sweetheart. You feel so good. You're so hot." He kept stroking her inside, and she was rocking with need before Jake finally kicked off his briefs and said, "Your turn to touch me, babe."

Elle reached to stroke his length and her eyes widened at what she felt. "You ever entered a contest?" she said, breathless, making him laugh again.

"No reason to. I'd win," he said as he kissed his way back up her body and kept stroking her until she was ready to explode. He removed his fingers, then, and as she was about to protest, replaced them with his length. He was easy, gentle, not wanting to hurt her, until finally, he was sheathed completely inside her. "You all right?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she answered, and moaned as he started moving slowly inside her body.

"I love how you want me. I want you, too," he said, as his thrusts picked up pace and he knew she was close again. His fangs were aching to drop, but he would not do it unless she said it was all right. "May I taste you, sweet Elle?" he murmured in her ear.

She knew what he was asking and she thought about it. You only live once. Why not? Lindsey said it was incredible, even as a human. "Yes, but be careful, please."

"Always," he assured her and he dropped his fangs. He nosed along her neck until he found his preferred spot and choosing his angle carefully, bit. Her blood flowed into his mouth, full of sweet lust, and tasting faintly of the rum drinks she had consumed at the party.

Elle gasped as she felt Jakob's fangs. It didn't hurt at all - he had been truthful - but she couldn't believe how it did feel. The movement of his mouth on her skin, as he gently drank several swallows, was intoxicating. She could feel her orgasm taking her body, and dimly, his release inside her. Then, she felt him licking the wounds clean, and his tongue was warm and tender. It was unbelievable. "Let me heal it," he muttered, and she felt him licking the spot again, and he paused before he kissed her again. "Thank you," he said against her mouth.

Jake cuddled Elle to his side and kissed her and stroked her skin, whispering sweet words to her, until she fell asleep. Her last conscious thought was he hadn't lied. He had effectively ruined her for any human man.

* * *

As Damon and Lindsey pulled into the drive, and he stopped by her car, she was out of the seat in a flash and zipping to the house. "Dammit!" Damon cursed. They were riding with the top down, and it would take a few seconds to put it back up, even with the automatic feature. He could hear her laughter fade and knew she was teasing him. It was a lot easier to catch her before she turned, but now, all bets were off.

Lindsey ran up to their bedroom and slipped out of her dress. She knew her husband loved to go all dominant on her and rip clothing. Not _this_ dress, he wasn't. Because when Damon ripped clothes, they generally couldn't be fixed. She hurried into a tank top over her underwear and ran out to the back porch. She knew he would eventually look for her there.

Damon ran into the house, shedding clothes as soon as he hit the front door. He flew up the stairs, hardly touching them. He flung the bedroom door open. Nothing. "Where are you, you hellcat?" he yelled. Lindsey laughed silently at the tone in his voice. Damon was in for a surprise.

He looked in the bathroom. No wife. She wasn't in either of the other rooms, but he knew she was close. He could feel pure laughter radiating through their bond and he stomped out on the back porch. "Lindsey!" he called, very testily. He turned to face the door, in case she was sneaking up from behind him. Suddenly, he found himself on his back, looking up at his wife's grin. She was on the roof and had jumped down, knocking him flat.

"Hi there!" she exclaimed. "Were you looking for me?" She kissed him quickly and was up in a flash. "Catch me if you can, baby!" she sang, and was gone off the porch railing. Damon was up in a moment. He still had his trousers on, but that was all. When Lindsey wanted to play hide and seek like this, it was always when he was extra horny, but it seemed like she was determined to make him work for it. Still, there was something in this kind of chase that thrilled the predator in his nature, and she knew it. He went to the railing and just allowed himself to listen, to scent her on the wind, to feel where she was on the property, or in the house. The moon was bright on the grass, lending a faint silver sheen to the night.

Damon jumped down from the railing and ran lightly to the front of the house, making as little noise as possible. He was glad, once again, they lived with no near neighbors. It made this kind of foreplay much more entertaining. He looked on the front porch, sure she would be there, then looked up to the roof. She wasn't going to catch him out like that again. But she wasn't there. He heard a rustle from the side of the house, but all he saw were the branches on the crepe myrtle waving with her passage. "How long are you gonna keep this up?" he called.

"As long as it takes!" came the response, from the other side of the house, naturally. Well, two could play at the stealth game. He flattened himself against the side of the house and waited. He knew she would eventually come looking for him, too. Or he thought she would, anyway.

Lindsey stood in the front yard and lifted her nose into the wind. Damon was on the other side of the house, lying in wait for her, she knew. The night breeze brought his scent clearly to her. _Let him wait then,_ she chuckled inwardly as she flew back into the house.

Damon's bare feet were starting to get cold in the dewy grass when he heard water running. He looked up and saw the bedroom light was on. "Well, hell!" he spat and taking the shortcut, jumped up to the porch and went flying into the bedroom. He tore off his pants and underwear, and then strode into the bathroom. His mate was relaxing in the bathtub.

"What took you so long?" Lindsey began, but hardly had time to get the words out, before Damon was in the water, pulling her to his body and kissing her. He dropped to his knees, pushed her back against the tub and entered her body with one swift thrust. "You sex fiend," she gasped.

"You know it," he growled and nipped her neck, leaving fading love bites all over it. Her head was back and she was pushing against his body, meeting every thrust, some little pragmatic flicker in her mind agreeing that the extra long, clawfoot bathtub had been an inspired addition to the bathroom.

Damon hardly had time to get into the spirit of things when his body took over and he climaxed like a horny 15-year-old with his first girl. He was panting and held Lindsey's shoulders against the back of the tub.

"Wow, you really got worked up, didn't you there, Mr. Sixty-Second Man?" she grinned at him.

"Youuuuuu…." his voice trailed off. "What did you do to me?"

"Not a thing. Not my fault you lost it like a horned-up ninth grader! Guess I'll have to go find that vibrator Caroline sent me as a gag gift for my birthday." She pushed him away and got out of the tub and dried off. "Hope the batteries are still good."

"Oh, I don't think so," Damon said as he got out and barely got dry before he had Lindsey in his arms and on the bed. "You know as well as I do that no damn vibrator can do it for you. Not what I can do anyway." He was on top of her and held her down. If she were still human, she knew she would be covered in bruises, but as it was, they healed almost before she could see them appear.

Damon was still muttering as he kissed and nipped his way down the skin on her body, still holding her mostly motionless, until his mouth reached her center and he started licking and kissing her. He was using every iota of expertise he had gained over the decades to drive her insane, and it was working beautifully, he had to say. She was writhing underneath him.

Lindsey felt like her whole body was on fire. When Damon had to chase her to make love to her, it was always unbelievably intense - he was a predator and highly competitive to boot. He was going to win, no matter what it took. He had taken this round to another level, though, and she was keening with need, finally nearly to climax, when Damon moved to enter her body again. After several sweet, hard thrusts, he growled in her ear, "No vibrator can feel as good as my cock feels, can it? Only my cock gives you what you _need_."

"Mmmmm-hmmm," she agreed, as she met his entry every time. When Damon went X-rated on her, it was guaranteed to make her climax hard, every single time. And he knew it, the big rat. But she didn't care as long as he didn't stop, and when he finally sank his fangs into her neck, she screamed her orgasm before she returned the bite and the blood sharing high started. It was better every time they did it, and the more intense the sex was before, the higher the sharing took them.

Lindsey didn't know how long she was mostly unconscious and high on Damon's blood, but she knew they had cleaned each other's wounds and were locked into a tangled embrace. She sighed. "It only gets better with you, babe. I love you.

She felt Damon stretch and heard his low chuckle. "You gave me a workout, you slave driver, you. Good thing I love you, too." Lindsey could see his face in the moonlight, and it was truly beautiful. His eyes were silver in the light and she wondered again how she was so incredibly fortunate as to have this man by her side from now on. He kissed her with the tenderness he had only acquired - or remembered - since he met her. He pulled the blanket over them and they both slept.

* * *

 **P.S. Yeah, I know. Plot? What plot? There was supposed to be a plot? Who needs a plot when you have sexy vampires like Damon and Jakob around? Plots may not be necessary, but REVIEWS ARE! Leave one, right in that box below, won't you? Thank you! :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Affair of the Heart

**A/N: And so, the last chapter. Thank you again, SO MUCH for every follow, fave and review! You guys make it worth the effort! Now, in a few weeks, I'll be ready to start posting the BIG sequel to "Ordinary Loneliness," and the timeline will overlap with this story. If it works out, that story is gonna be quite a ride, so join me for it!**

 **Just tying up some loose ends here. Enjoy and let me know how you liked it by leaving a review!**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries."_

* * *

Elle moved, knowing she slept deeply, but barely remembering why until she became conscious of a male body cradling hers. Her eyes fluttered open, but the curtains were closed, so the light was still gray inside the hotel room. A strong hand made its way across her stomach to cup her breast, and then she saw she wore an oversized T-shirt.

"Mmmmm," Jake rumbled in her ear. "Morning."

"Hey," she said. She looked over at the clock. "What time does your flight leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. I changed it," he answered.

"You did?"

"Yeah." He nuzzled in her hair and kissed her neck and ear. "I decided I needed another day to spend with you."

"Really?" She was thrilled and a little scared, all at once.

"Mmm-hmmm," he hummed. "Would it be too much trouble for you to turn over so I can kiss you? I mean, groping you is fun, but kissing is even better."

Elle stretched luxuriously and did turn over to see Jakob smiling at her. "Please tell me you're not a morning person."

His grin widened. "Technically, I'm an evil, undead creature of the night, but that's just semantics. Mornings aren't too bad…" he paused. "When they're spent in the company of a beautiful, passionate woman."

Elle blushed, in spite of herself. "Smooth talker," she said.

He stroked her face. "See, that implies I'm not sincere, but I am. You are beautiful," and he kissed her, "and you're very passionate," and he kissed her again and cupped her bottom so he could press her against his groin, where she could feel his hardness. "And I definitely want to spend more time with you." He kissed her again and rolled her to her back, sliding his hands underneath her shirt. She returned the kiss and twined her fingers into his hair. She could tell they weren't going anywhere any time soon.

* * *

Lindsey woke up, legs still tangled with Damon's, which is how he preferred to sleep. If he was curled around her, he was happy. Lindsey often said it was a lot like sleeping with a kudzu vine. Damon's response was why have a wife if not to keep him warm at night? This usually earned him a smack on the back of the head. But he had done that since Nashville. This morning, he was awake, aroused and intent on waking her up, too. His hands were busy on her skin, his mouth nibbling on her neck.

"It's hardly good daylight yet," she mumbled. "You couldn't let me sleep?"

He looked up at her and once again, Lindsey fell headlong into his incredible blue eyes. "You can sleep. I don't mind," he said, and then gave her the same grin that probably saved him from a spanking by his mammy who knows how many times. "But why would you want to sleep through _this_?"

Lindsey closed her eyes. "What am I gonna do with you?"

Damon crawled his way up her body so he was hovering over her. "Babe, I thought you'd never ask, because we have all the time in the world, and the possibilities are _endless_." He took her mouth with his.

Well, Lindsey couldn't say she didn't know what Damon's libido was like when she married him. She knew what she was getting into: a male with the sex drive of a 16-year-old, the looks of a 25-year-old and over a century's worth of expertise. Why fight it? She sighed into his mouth and ran her hands down his beautiful back.

His hands came up to her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks and he fanned her hair out on her pillow. He rubbed his cheek against the gossamer, silky strands, and sighed. As Damon fitted himself inside his wife's body, Elle's words about how he and his mate were two perfectly fitted pieces of a puzzle crossed his mind. It still thrilled him on a primal level that he was the only man who had ever seen Lindsey's body, the only man who had ever touched her, made love to her.

"The only one, ever," she whispered, feeling his emotions through their bond. What started as something more urgent - for Damon - had melted into slow, lazy, sensuous touches and whispers where he allowed their bond to dictate his lovemaking, rather than just knowing what Lindsey liked. This time, they were cocooned together, as her fingertips skimmed his skin, reveling in how the planes and dips of his back felt underneath her hands, how his muscles twitched when she ran her hands across them. Damon moved inside her just occasionally, mostly focusing on how much she loved the way he ran his tongue across her collarbone, down the hollow of her throat, how much she needed him to touch her skin and to whisper to her that she was beautiful, that he needed her, wanted her, desired her, loved her. The way her body came alive under his hands when he said the words made him happy, too.

Lindsey had no idea what time it was when she and Damon finally reached their mutual peaks, but she knew they had spent the majority of the morning making the kind of love that truly satisfied her soul. She loved any contact with Damon, but when they took their time and just allowed the passion to happen, it was always deep and sweet, and she felt their bond strengthen and intensify, pulling them closer together. It was so easy to feel their bond swirling around them in these times. It was doubly sweet to know Damon was her mate, as well as her husband, and that he was as bonded to her as she was to him.

* * *

Elle found the key under the mat where Lindsey always left it for her and let herself and Jake into the house. All was quiet. He sniffed the air and grinned.

"What is it?" Elle whispered.

"You can't smell it, but I can. Those two." He pointed upstairs.

"What?"

"Let's go sit on the porch." When they were outside, the door closed, Jake led Elle to the swing and they sat down. "O.K. You know vampires have an enhanced sense of smell, right?"

"Yeah," she said, still confused.

"So people, humans or vamps, emit smells. I mean, like hormones and so forth. So, when a human or a vamp is aroused, we can smell it. It's kind of a light, musky smell. Actual sex makes the smell more intense, and from the way it smells in there, well, let's just say they've had a busy morning." He chuckled, low.

"That's kind of weird to know you can smell other people like that. How do you stand it when you're in a crowd?"

Jake shrugged. "Ever been in an office where someone burned popcorn in the microwave? It stinks at first, but you learn to just ignore it. That's part of why life is so tough on new vamps. The heightened senses can drive you crazy, until you learn to control them."

Elle nodded. "Lindsey said she knows that's why her transition was much easier - she was out here with not many people around. I guess it was kind of the same with you?" she asked.

"Sort of. Mary - my sire - lived outside Fort Worth then. I hadn't been in town but a few months. I ran into her at the general store one Saturday and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Of course, I was young and dumb, still learning to speak fluent English. She lived on this little patch of land she owned outright and needed a hired hand. She took one look at me and decided I was just the kind of boy she needed on the place. I was looking for a job, so it seemed perfect."

"Sounds like something out of a romance novel," Elle laughed.

"Yeah, except for the ending. She did need the help, but she also needed a ready supply of blood and someone to warm her bed. I excelled at all of the above. Of course, she had me compelled to think it was OK that she was feeding from me, so I was fine with it." Jake's gaze was distant as he remembered.

"So how did you get turned, if you don't mind me asking? You said it was an accident."

"It was. She had this horse I was trying to break to saddle," he explained. "She had me drink from her the night before because she took a lot of blood from me, so I needed the healing. Well, she didn't tell me I needed to be extra careful when I had her blood in my body, and I went out to work with the horse. He threw me and broke my neck. When I woke up in transition, she was really upset, but told me she would help me if I wanted to turn. And she did. She helped me transition without killing and I stayed on with her for another couple of years. Again, it was away from a lot of people, and she wouldn't let me go into town until I'd learned to control the blood lust. It was a much better way to do it, but she was a good sire. She did right by me."

"Have you ever turned anyone that you know of?"

He nodded. "Once. It was a woman, and like me, it was an accident. So I tried to help her as much as Mary helped me. I think she did all right. I don't ever see her now, though. I guess she's around, somewhere. Turning someone is a huge responsibility. That's one reason so many vamps hate Katherine Pierce - well, aside from the fact she's a turbo bitch. Everyone in the American vamp community knows what she did to Damon and Stefan, and even though we're not pack oriented, anyone with any decency left felt nothing but contempt for her. That's one reason she stayed on the run from Klaus. No one in the vampire community wanted to have anything to do with her, and wouldn't help her."

"How many vampires are there, really?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. Not like we have a census," and he laughed. "My best guess would be about three or four hundred in the U.S. and about twice that many worldwide. So, twelve or fifteen hundred all over the world. But that's a very rough estimate." He cocked his head. "Sounds like someone is rambling around. I'm sure one of them has heard us out here by now."

In a minute or two, the front door opened and Damon peered around it, looking sleepy and rumpled in a T-shirt and jeans, very unlike his usual, put together self. "Coffee's ready. Come on in," he said. If he and Lindsey hadn't made such amazing love that morning, he wouldn't be that cordial. But he was still feeling the effects of the sex, plus the blood sharing, so he was actually in a surprisingly good mood.

Damon padded barefoot into the kitchen, where Lindsey had already fed and was drinking her coffee. He had also had one bag of blood. He was very, very hungry and knew he needed to take the edge off before Elle came into the house. He drained two more and felt more like himself. He stroked Lindsey's hair. "Want me to go get the paper?"

"If you don't mind, sweetheart," she answered, smiling at him.

"Not a bit." He was out the door and back almost before the screen door had time to close. "Here you go," he said as he handed it to her.

"Thanks, babe. Oooh. Lots of coupons in this one. Have to look and see if there's anything I can use." Damon grinned at the thought of the amount of money in his bank account, and his wife clipping coupons. She returned his smile and looked at Elle. "Everything's where it always was, if you want something to eat."

"I'm good. We ate at a little cafe in Oneonta. I'll take another cup of coffee, though."

"Plenty of K-cups. Help yourself," Lindsey answered. "You too, Jake. I know you love coffee." Damon sat next to her at the table and she leaned into his side.

"Well, the wife says last night was a success, so I have to believe her," Damon said, his tone pleasant.

"I think it was," Elle agreed.

"So do we have any big plans for today?" Lindsey said.

"I can't think of anything," Jake answered. "Got any ideas?"

Lindsey was scanning the features section of the paper. She tutted silently at an odd headline, and looked up. "Well, the covered bridge festival is this weekend. Usual stuff: arts and crafts, food, live music. Same thing you and I used to go to every year, Ellie."

"They're still doing that? Oh, that was always so much fun when Pop took us! You guys want to go?"

Jakob could see Elle really wanted to go, and he wanted to spend time with her, so he readily agreed. "Sounds good. It's a beautiful day."

"Yeah, I think so, too. Damon?" Lindsey looked enquiringly at him.

"Sure. Why not? I was just planning to be a couch potato today, so that sounds all right." Damon was feeling amenable. The reunion was out of the way, it was a nice day, as Jake noted, and he actually enjoyed these fall festivals. Not that he would admit it to anyone, but he did.

* * *

As the group walked around the grounds, Lindsey and Elle found themselves going across the old covered bridge, just as they did when they were teenagers. "I can still hear Pop's wingtip shoes echoing as he walked across the bridge," Elle said.

"I know what you mean. Me too. Long time gone," Lindsey answered as they walked. "Nothing stays the same, but now, really, everything has changed. Me, included. Vampire emotions are heightened, and it can be tough to shake the nostalgia."

"How long will you stay in Alabama? I know you can't just live in the house for the next 200 years without leaving once in a while."

"Damon said probably another ten years or so before the not aging gets really noticeable. Then, I guess we'll live in Italy for a while, in the Salvatore ancestral home, and then come back. Me? I'd rather stay put, but I don't have the option. I gained a lot of things when I turned, but I lost some things, too.

"Well, you at least went into it with your eyes open. You had a pretty good idea what you were getting into."

"I did. I think I was much better equipped for this life than some people were."

"Jake told me the entire vamp community hates Katherine for what she did to Damon and Stefan."

"For that and a lot of other reasons. She just couldn't keep her nose out of everyone else's business, apparently. I'm glad she's finally dead. She left destruction everywhere she went. Wish I could have done the honors, but hey. You can't have everything," Lindsey said with a grin.

"I'd say you slayed the worst dragon last night. I still can't get over how you turned the tables on Lee Ann. That was good."

"I think it was, too. So tell me, is Jake a first date biter?"

"Lin! Really!"

She threw up her hands. "I know. So, is he?"

Elle blushed. "Yeah, well. He did ask first. But yeah. He is."

Lindsey nodded. "Doesn't surprise me. So, what are you going to do? I mean, try to do things long distance or what?"

"Well, it's only a couple hundred miles to Fort Worth. We can drive it, meet halfway, you know. I think it's worth pursuing in the short term, anyway. I like him."

"I like him, too. I think you two are good together."

"You think so, huh? Do you think he would pressure me to turn?"

Lindsey considered the question. "He might ask you to consider it, but I doubt he'd pressure you. It's not a decision you make lightly, and if you're dealing with a decent person, not one they _would_ pressure you to make."

"And Jake is a decent guy."

"Very decent. Love him to pieces," Lindsey answered.

"Would you consider Damon to be decent?" Elle asked, with a slightly wicked grin.

Lindsey chuckled. "Getting there. Normally, he prides himself on being as _in_ decent as inhumanly possible. But he's coming around. It's always been there. You just have to plow through a lot to get there."

"You don't want him to be some kind of domestic vampire puppy, do you?"

"Oh, heck no! I fell in love with the badass. I just want him to keep it within reasonable limits, that's all. As I've told him before, mellow is much easier to live with. So I can deal with a mellower version. But no, I want him to be himself. I just want him to be the _best_ version of himself. And like I said, he's getting there. I know when he's really feeling the urge to kill, though. He goes out to the shop and starts ripping lumber planks for projects. I think something about seeing that table saw cut through the wood is therapeutic." She laughed.

"So you don't get the kill urge?" Elle wasn't sure she knew the answer.

Lindsey shook her head. "Not often. I did last night. You don't know how I wanted to drain Lee Ann and then drag her corpse out into the middle of the floor. I _really_ wanted to, but I knew I couldn't. And this is better, I know. That's the key. You sort of have to let the urge wash over you and then dissipate. It's like anything else. I can't act in the heat of the moment. I have to remember the feeling is going to fade, and I don't want to have to deal with the emotions and consequences of giving in to it."

"Sounds like the healthy way to deal with it to me."

"That's kind of the way I worked it out. And doing the occasional catch-eat-compel-release does help keep the predator in check."

Elle nodded. "I've been meaning to ask you about that. How do you pick, um-"

"A participant?" Lindsey chuckled. "I usually hang out at the junior college. I look for guys who need their egos taken down a peg. They're fun. They don't understand why they're following me to a lonely spot. Then, I usually ask them to get closer so I can tell them a secret, nail them, compel them and I'm out of there."

"How often do you do it?"

"Couple of times a month."

"Always guys?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Don't ask me why. I'd just rather bite a guy's neck. Maybe their veins are bigger or something. There was this one guy I got. He was a basketball player. Had veins like garden hoses. You know, you could see them really well. I watched him walk down the sidewalk and my fangs dropped, just checking out his veins. It was pretty bad."

Elle hid her face and laughed. "I shouldn't think that's funny, but it is. You didn't hurt him or anything, I know."

"Nah. But it was a temptation to sample several veins. I just had to keep my mind on what I was doing, and not on those pornographic veins." She laughed, too. "Here come the guys," she said, hearing them long before they came into view.

"Hey ladies!" Jakob said. "They're doing country dancing! We know how. Want to join us?"

"Sure," Lindsey said. "I know Damon won't let an opportunity to show off pass him by." She grinned.

"Of course not," he shot back, calling her bluff.

As much as Damon disliked speaking in front of people, it always amused Lindsey how he wasn't at all shy to do something like dance in front of people. But as he took her hands and led her into the contra-dance, she felt utterly at ease with his ability to take her through the figures without allowing her to fall all over herself, or make him look clumsy, either.

The nature of the dance meant that all the dancers eventually danced with each other, and when Jake took Lindsey's hands, she remembered again how graceful he was - nearly as much so as Damon. But she and Damon had danced together enough that she was accustomed to him. But Jake's grin was encouraging and when the dance ended, and everyone clapped for the band, Lindsey felt her mate's arm come around her waist. "I love to watch you when you dance," he said in her ear. "You're totally free. You just feel the music and let go."

"You know me. I love music."

"I do know that," he said softly. "It's part of what makes you so beautiful," he whispered into her hair, and she blushed.

The group sat at one of the picnic tables, drank fresh cider and ate funnel cake. Damon watched Lindsey and Elle laugh and he knew they would miss each other. They would have to make a trip to Texas so Lindsey could see her friend again soon. He wasn't sure what Elle and Jakob might work out between themselves, but he could see they liked each other a lot. Lindsey leaned into his body and he put his arm around her shoulders. It was second nature, now. He thought about being with Elena and how touching was almost always a prelude to sex, and rarely just for showing affection. But then again, they weren't mated, and not for the first time, Damon was profoundly thankful for that.

* * *

That evening, Lindsey cooked and the group had an evening a little like the ones Damon, Ric and Lindsey shared when they visited in 2011. Lindsey turned on the stereo, and they danced, then played a new trivia game Lindsey picked up in Birmingham, the guys against girls. When the game ended, Lindsey and Elle high-fived and Lindsey said, "We've still got it, girlfriend."

Damon and Jake looked at each other and Jake said, "I saw it, but I still can't believe it. How did they _do_ that?"

"Hell if I know," Damon answered. "I didn't know there was another human in the world whose brain worked like Lindsey's. That's scary, you know it?"

"Damn right it is," Jake agreed with a chuckle. "We are clearly out of our league."

Elle laughed as she and Lindsey fist-bumped. "We probably should have warned them, or played cross teams or something. You and Jake and me and Damon. That might have leveled things out a little."

Lindsey glanced at the old clock on the mantel. "Well, you two have an early flight to catch. Nice that you could be on the same flight to DFW and then Elle catch a puddle jumper to Austin. Guess we need to close it down for the night. You two staying here?"

Elle nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I didn't think you'd mind."

Lindsey grinned. "You're both grown. Not much I can say. Not that I would. It's been a good day, though. Damon, you want to lock up, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," he said, as he got up and went to lock the front door.

When the house was quiet, Damon and Lindsey lay in bed, speaking in whispers.

"What do you think will happen with Jake and Elle?" he asked.

"I don't know. We talked about it a little today. I think she wants something to work out, but she's not sure where to take it. I can understand. We're both pushing 50, but I won't age, so it doesn't look as odd for me to be with you, as it does for her to be with Jake - or as odd as it will in a few years."

"Think she'll turn?"

"She has kids. I don't know. Not sure how you handle something like this when you have kids, and no one thinks we exist to start with. Have to wait and see, I guess."

Damon sniffed the air. "They're being quiet about it."

Lindsey chuckled softly. "It's possible to do. Not easy, but possible."

"Want to see how quiet we can be?" he leered at her.

"Why don't we just enjoy holding each other tonight, babe?"

"I guess we can do that." He gathered her to his chest and she nosed into his skin.

"I'll never get tired of your scent." She kissed Damon tenderly and put her head on his shoulder. "Or of anything else about you. I love you."

"Love you too." He put his arms around her and sighed at the feel of her body in his arms. "Good night."

Jakob lay awake for a while after Elle fell asleep in his arms, wondering where this possible relationship was going. Finally, he slept, too.

* * *

Lindsey hated good-byes. She and Elle hugged each other and then Jake swept her into a hug and kiss, as he usually did. Damon looked at Elle for a minute and said, "C'mere," and he gave her a big hug, which surprised Lindsey almost as much as it did Elle. But she was pleased, and Elle was, too. Lindsey waved to the couple as they left for Birmingham.

Airports were great for hellos, but lousy for good-byes, Elle thought, as she kissed Jake before catching her flight to Austin. "You've got my number," he said, "And I've got yours. I'll be calling you, baby. I don't know how long I can stay in Fort Worth before I drive down for a visit."

"Come anytime. Gwen's gonna want to meet you. She thinks she's the resident expert on males," Elle laughed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with her." She put her hands on his chest. "Gosh, but I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." He dipped his head and kissed her. "Have a safe flight."

"Thanks. I'll call you when I get home."

"Please do." He kissed her again before reluctantly watching her walk to her gate and he turned to get a cab home.

* * *

"All quiet again," Damon said as he put his arms around Lindsey, who was working at her computer. He kissed the top of her head. "Some weekend."

"Tell me about it. One for the books."

"You ever gonna finish that book you're always working on?"

"Maybe, if I can ever figure out a way to end it," she said, turning her face to his for a kiss.

"You'll think of something, eventually," he assured her, drawing her to her feet, deepening the kiss and finally, swinging her into his arms as he carried her to their bedroom.

"I've got plenty of inspiration," she replied as he laid her on the bed and started peppering her face with kisses.

"Show me," he said, his mouth covering hers, feeling their love through their bond.

* * *

 **How 'bout a review? Oh, if you don't know what kudzu is and you want to understand, just search "Alabama kudzu" in Google Images and you'll see exactly what this stuff does. It's pernicious. But leave a review before you go looking, OK? Reviews are love!**


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